Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
statistical dimensions of landscape structure at landscape and class level, (2) to pro-
vide a core set of representative variables, (3) to evaluate the stability of the detected
dimensions across scales, and (4) to describe the characteristic landscape pattern of
Dadia NP. Therefore, we produced a map of nine land-cover categories that we con-
verted to raster format with a grain of 5 m. We used FRAGSTATS (McGarigal &
Marks, 1995) for the computation of the 119 landscape metrics investigated in the
study and applied correlation analysis and factor analysis, regarding both landscape
and class level metrics in a parallel way. Landscape diversity, edge contrast (a mea-
sure related to fragmentation) and area-weighted mean patch shape were stable
at landscape level across the three tested scales. The representative set of metrics
consisted of Simpson's Diversity Index, Mean Edge Contrast Index, and the Area-
Weighted Mean Shape Index. The pattern analysis revealed a dispersed pattern for
landscape diversity, with high values in the vicinity of the borders between core
areas and the buffer zone, and a clustered pattern for edge contrast, presenting a
gradient from the unfragmented core areas to the agricultural land in the east of the
reserve (Fig. 13.3).
Fig. 13.3
Pattern of the main dimensions of landscape structure in Dadia National Park. (
a
)
Landscape diversity (Factor 1) and (
b
) edge contrast (Factor 2)
13.6 Case Study 4 - Testing the Performance of Landscape
Metrics as Indicators for Biodiversity
Since only some empirical studies tested the relations between landscape structure
and the species diversity of multiple taxa (Hernández-Stefanoni, 2006; Yamaura,
Search WWH ::
Custom Search