A multi-scale analysis of landscape statistics

Abstract

It is now feasible to monitor some aspects of landscape ecological condition nationwide using remotely- sensed imagery and indicators of land cover pattern. Previous research showed redundancies among many reported pattern indicators and identified six unique dimensions of land cover pattern. This study tested the stability of those dimensions and representative pattern indicators across different types of land cover maps. The maps were derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper images of the Tennessee River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds, and they differed in resolution, number of attributes, and method of delineating landscape unit boundaries. A multivariate analysis of pattern metrics was conducted separately for each map, and the results were then compared among types of maps. Measures of land cover diversity, texture, and fractal dimension were more consistent than measures of average patch shape or compaction among the land cover maps.

Citation

Cain, Douglas H.; Riitters, Kurt H.; Orvis, Kenneth. 1997. A multi-scale analysis of landscape statistics. Ecology 12:199-212