EXPERT is similar to the Expert System build into in JUICE. However, it does not support all the syntax elements JUICE covers. In Turboveg3 EXPERT is currently only implemented for Dutch databases and the European Vegetation Archive (EVA database).
Note the the analysis is only possible on selected plot observations.
In order to work with EXPERT, a text file is needed in which the rules are defined on how to assign a vegetation plot to a certain plant community. Visit the Turboveg3 website if no EXPERT file is available. The file should be located in the folder '<installation folder Turboveg3>\ExpertSystem' and contains three sections. Section 1 contains species names and their synonyms. Section 2 contains species groups that characterize the target plant communities. Finally, section 3 contains the formulas (expert rules) that define the plant communities. In the formulas reference is made to the species groups listed in section 2. The different parts of a formula are linked to each other through logical operators.
More information on how an expert system operates can be found here.
The interface to the expert system is straight forward. Firstly, an expert system file needs to be loaded and secondly one has to choose whether results should be stored in a CSV file or directly in the Database. In the latter case a field called '_ES_' is automatically created and added to the profile. Via Manage data fields a meaningful name can be given to this field. By default, it will appear as the last column in the dataset.
Finally hit the Execute button to start the analysis.
The formulas are listed in the Formulas tab. By scrolling through the list, the definition for each of the formulas can be viewed in the yellow box.
Note that synonym names in a plot observation are translated to accepted names before being evaluated.
Plots that only have species with cover percentage of 1 or less are ignored. This include for example presence only data.
The working of EXPERT is only guaranteed if no changes are made to the Expert system file.
