BES

The BES website (http://www.ecostudies.org/bes) was completed with adequate time for the planned release in February 2001. Toward the end though, we resembled students cramming for finals. The next step is to use the domain to better provide information to the greater scientific community and each other. All out public data and metadata are available there and on our public ftp server, ftp://www.ecostudies.org.

Information Storage and Retrieval for Collaboration

Now we are developing a system to store and retrieve BES research products. This is especially important for BES as it is a distributed project. Taking an open systems approach, I am developing a system of directories on our web server and using PERL to provide the means to upload and download the files.

List Server

We now have a list server so one can easily send mail to the entire BES community. The address is bes@ecostudies.org.

Calendar

Now, inside the BES website internal area there is an interactive calendar for project events. It's based on a great, free perl script by Matt Kruse. Meetings (open and group-specific), events of interest to BES work, and PI travel schedules are posted there

Data Table of Contents

I am making the BES data table of contents, so the LTER network and others can index our data automatically.

Solar Radiation Monitoring Station Begins Operation

The BES Solar Radiation Monitoring Station (BES SRMS) began recording hourly averages of UVB radiation, photosynthetically active radiation, and total solar radiation, at 5:00 pm EST on May 21, 2001. The instruments are located on one of the highest points in the city, where they have a full view of the sun and sky, atop a water surge tower at the Ashburton Water Filtration Plant on Druid Park Drive.

Community Contacts at BES Field Research Sites

Mary Cox, URI Coordinator, is compiling a database of contacts in the communities surrounding BES field research sites so that we can both thank these communities for their continued cooperation in our research efforts and share with them our research results.

The Open Research System

The Open Research System, developed by Dr. Charles Schweik, http://www.open-research.org continues to improve. He is developing a special new graphical search facility. It will allow extremely complex searches to discover interrelationships between the biological, physical and social data of BES. The search facility for the BES data continues to improve too with an enhanced interface and the installation of a new T1 line and server.

Jonathan Walsh