Site summary information

A limited amount of summary data can be stored for each site. This allows users to gain an small insight into the meaning of the abundance data, and directs them to the references for more information. BugsCEP is not intended to be a site database, but rather a database of collection/sample data for sites.

1. Activate the Site Manager from the main toolbar.
2. Select a site from the list.
   - Note that you can move to the first site begining with a particular letter by pressing that key when the list is selected.
   You can also sort the list by Site Name, Region or Country by clicking on the column headers.
3. A numerical summary of the data for the site will be shown in the 'Currently Selected' panel on the right.
4. Click the [Show Site Info.] button, and the summary information for the selected site will be shown.
5. The site information screen for Aghnadarragh in County Antrim, Ireland* is shown below. Abundance data is accessed through the [Manage Countsheets & Create Reports] button.

Countsheet (abundance) data for a site

1. Open the Countsheet Manager for a site by either:

1. Activate the Site Manager from the main toolbar.
2. Select a site from the list.
3. Click the [Manage Countsheets & Create Reports] button.
   (If there is no abundance data for the site you will be asked whether you would like to add some).

1. Access the Site Information screen for a site from either the Site Manager or from the fossil/site record for a species on the main BugsCEP screen.
2. Click the [Manage Countsheets & Create Reports] button.

2. The Countsheet Manager will display summary information for all the sets of abundance data for the site. A countsheet is simply a species list with an associated set of samples and abundance values (or presence/absence).
   In the example below the site St. Bees has two countsheets - one with a single sample and presence/absence data for 109 taxa; and another with 35 samples and abundance data for 282 taxa.

3. Click the [Show/Edit abundance data] button for the countsheet you wish to examine, and the Countsheet Editor will open with the data in spreadsheet form.

Taxa are listed in the first column, and sample names displayed in the remaining column headers. Cells show the abundance (or presence) of each species in each sample.
At this point you can:
- export the countsheet to MS Excel by pressing the [Export] button
- edit the data
- see more sample details (coordinates & depths) by clicking the [Manage Samples] button
- or return to the Countsheet Manager by pressing the [Cancel/Close] button (and clicking [Yes] to the confirmation request]

Create a Site Report

1. Open the Countsheet Manager for the site (either from the Site Manager or Site Information Screen).
2. Click the [Create Report] button next to the relevant countsheet.
3. The 'Report Generator' options window will pop up - select your prefered report ('Full' is probably the most useful), and press [Preview Report].
4. After a few moments a preview of the report will be displayed, from which you can print it, or export to MS Word or Excel with the buttons on the toolbar.

Examine dating evidence for a site

Samples stored in BugsCEP may be assigned any number of dates (in years).
Three categories are catered for:
i) Calendar - specific dates, e.g. 49AD, 22BC, 1984AD
ii) Radiometric - C14, Uranium series etc. (anything that decays)
iii) Periods - broad categories, e.g. Late Glacial, Iron Age

If a resolution greater than a year is required then this should be included in the Site Information data.

1. Open the Dates Explorer for a site by either:

1. Activate the Site Manager from the main toolbar.
2. Select a site from the list.
3. Click the [Dates Explorer] button.

1. Access the Site Information screen for a site from either the Site Manager or from the fossil/site record for a species on the main BugsCEP screen.
2. Click the [Show Dates] button.

2. The Dates Explorer lists samples for the selected countsheet on the left. If a site has multiple counsheets you can switch between them using the drop down box in the top left.
   Dates for the selected sample are shown to the right - use the tabs switch between date types.

* References