Ecopath 3.1 is now released, it can be downloaded from the homepage of the Fisheries Centre, or we will airmail it to you on request.
From Version 3.0 the following is included:
The Windows-platform: The 'old' Ecopath was programmed in Microsoft Professional Basic, and was (and still is) a versatile program with the major advantage that it can be run on basically any PC using DOS. The old version further has the advantage that it is very simple to use for new-comers, as there is a 'natural path' for the user to walk through the routines. In contrast the new version, programmed in Microsoft Visual Basic has the flexibility (spreadsheet input forms, multiple open windows, ...) , and consequently also the complexity of Windows programs: much more is possible, but it also takes more effort on the user's part to use these facilities. We wish to offer the advantages of both the DOS and the Windows platform; thus we will continue to support the DOS version (2.2+) of Ecopath; the DOS and Windows versions can share data files.
The graphics: Version II had very limited graphing facilities, and it was up to the user to produce graphs for presentations. A major new improvement in the new version is an interactive method for construction of the flowchart, i.e., of the main output of Ecopath. Such flowcharts contains a wealth of information, and it is complicated and time-consuming to prepare them manually. It has not been easy to program the flow chart routine, however, due to the complexity associated with arranging up to 50 groups with connecting flows, labels, etc. Indeed this complexity is the main reason why it has took 3 years to release the Ecopath 3.0.
Mixed Trophic Impacts: Another, simpler, but also very versatile, and information-rich new feature is the mixed trophic impact graph. This gives an overview of how each of the groups in the system impacts each other through both direct and indirect trophic interactions. A number of additional graphs are included (notably for comparing trophic "pyramids", and more will follow in coming versions.
EcoWrite: In the new version it is possible to enter a remark for each input parameter at the press of a button. Such remarks may indicate the sources of estimates, describe how they were standardized, etc. Once the model is constructed, a reporting facility extracts the remarks, and opens a built-in word processor. The text may then be edited or saved in a form accessible from virtually any other Windows-based word processor.
Empire: Often system-specific estimates of input parameters are not available for all groups to be included in a model. In such cases it can be useful to use one of the many published empirical relationships (e.g., in Calder 1984), especially where there are physiological constrains likely to overrule local conditions, e.g., in the case of the consumption/biomass ratio of fish (see Pauly 1989). To facilitate parametrization, we describe a number of these relationships in a new, interactive routine ("Empire"). We intend to add relationships in each succeeding versions, and we encourage readers to contacts us if they know of relationships we should consider including.