The Texas Almanac Characterization Tool

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The Texas Almanac Characterization Tool
The Texas ACT query tools include simple
point-and-click query functions allowing the user
to quickly build a knowledge base for locations
of interest. Other functions include Site
Information, Characterization (Zone Mapping and
Site Comparison), Zonal Statistics, Place Search
(locator) and Graphing capabilities. The dynamic
nature of these tools enables the
characterization of target areas (protected or
other natural resource management areas,
counties, groups of counties...) to be greatly
enhanced.
The Texas Almanac Characterization Tool ( Texas
ACT) is an integrated set of geo-referenced data
and query tools designed to support agricultural,
natural resource, and social/economic, research,
management, and educational activities. The
objective of the Texas ACT is to provide
synthesized information to decision makers at the
state, regional and county scale. The spatial
data in the Texas ACT include gridded monthly
climate surfaces and climatic models (e.g.,
growing degree days, driest quarter, annual
statistics), soils data, population, topography,
land cover, as well as, administrative,
hydrographic, census (agricultural and human),
and production information. These data are
combined with infrastructure data (e.g. roads,
rivers, towns, political units, school districts)
in a seamless Windows-based application.
The Texas ACT provides a suite of useful spatial
databases including climate, soils, roads,
cities, watersheds, ecological regions,
vegetation, and topography. Also included are
demographic spatial databases such as population,
agricultural, and school district statistics.
These are just a subset of the Texas ACT
databases...
The Texas ACT also provides higher resolution
data at the county level. Shown are some of the
Brazoria county spatial data layers. These
include detailed roads, hydrology, city
boundaries, pipelines, and wells.
For example, tools in the Texas ACT allow for the
identification of similar areas based on a user
selected point (e.g., for identifying the area
represented by a field trial location) or through
selection of a range in the variables
(precipitation gt 500mm, minimum temperature gt 14
C, population density lt 15 / km2). Areas of
geographical equivalence can play a significant
role in the study of disease distribution,
biodiversity, germplasm adaptation, and other
related assessments.
Number of Beef Cattle, 1997
Time series data is available making it easy to
detect, map, or chart change over time. Here
change in cattle density for Randall, Bell, and
Matagorda county have been illustrated from 1975
to 1997 in the form of pie charts.
The development of the Texas ACT was supported by
a grant from the Agricultural Program of Texas
AM University. Significant technology for this
project was transferred from the USAID Country
Almanac Project (ACTs for African countries) to
Texas.
Corbett, J.D., S.N. Collis, B.R. Bush, E.I.
Muchugu, R.Q. Jeske, R.E. Martinez, R.A. Burton,
and K. Kehn, 2000. Characterization,
Assessment, and Applications Group, Blackland
Research and Extension Center, Texas Agricultural
Experiment Station, Texas AM University System,
720 East Blackland Rd, Temple Texas, 76502,
USA. Ph 1-254-774-6059 Fax [phone], Web
Page www.brc.tamus.edu/char Email
caag_at_brc.tamus.edu