Landscape
Pattern
Analysis Exercise: Landscape Metrics
1. Learn about raster data and basic rules in pattern analysis
(using the 4-neighbor rule):
2. Calculate landscape metrics using, for
example, FRAGSTATS
Landscape-2
(ASCII format)
2 5 2
5 2 5 2 5 5 8 5 8 1 1 1 1
5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 8 5 8 5 1 1 1 1
2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 5 8 5 8 1 1 1 1
5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 8 5 8 5 1 1 1 1
2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 5 8 5 8 5 8 5 8
5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 8 5 8 5 8 5 8 5
2 5 2 5 2 5 1 1 1 1 5 8 5 8 5 8
5 2 5 2 5 2 1 1 1 1 8 5 8 5 8 5
5 8 5 8 5 8 1 1 1 1 2 5 2 5 2 5
8 5 8 5 8 5 1 1 1 1 5 2 5 2 5 2
5 8 5 8 5 8 5 8 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5
8 5 8 5 8 5 8 5 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2
1 1 1 1 5 8 5 8 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5
1 1 1 1 8 5 8 5 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2
1 1 1 1 5 8 5 8 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5
1 1 1 1 8 5 8 5 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2
(1) Some commonly used landscape metrics:
- Number of patches
- Patch density
- Total edge
- Edge density
- Largest patch index
- Shannon diversity index
- Fractal dimension
- Contagion
- Landscape shape index
(2) For landscape-2, calculate the same metrics again after
increasing the original grain size (i.e., 1x1) to 2x2 pixels by
aggregation using the majority rule. Compare the results for
the two different grain sizes. Are they different?
Explain.
3. If you're interested, you may do this
exercise and write a report to get extra points (up to 5% of the
final score):
- The report should include the following parts (use the
IMRaD format as discussed in Wu,
J. 2011):
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusions
- Present all necessary results, including tables and figures.
- In the Discussion section, interpret and explain the results
clearly and precisely.
- Also, in the Discussion section, discuss why and how these
results may be ecologically meaningful (e.g., relevance to
biodiversity, ecosystem processes, ecosystem services, ecosystem
management, and landscape planning.
- Submit your report by email to Prof. J. Wu at
Jingle.Wu@asu.edu one day after the final exam.
Back to Dr. Wu's
Landscape Ecology Homepage