Scale problems in reporting landscape pattern at the regional scale

R.V. O'Neill; C.T. Hunsaker; S.P. Timmins; B.L. Jackson; K.B. Jones; Kurt H. Riitters; James D. Wickham

Scale problems in reporting landscape pattern at the regional scale

Informally Refereed

Authors:	R.V. O'Neill, C.T. Hunsaker, S.P. Timmins, B.L. Jackson, K.B. Jones, Kurt H. Riitters, James D. Wickham
Year:	1996
Type:	Scientific Journal
Station:	Southern Research Station
Source:	Landscape Ecology vol.11 no. 3 pp 169-180 (1996)

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Abstract

Remotely sensed data for Southeastern United States (Standard Federal Region 4) are used to examine the scale problems involved in reporting landscape pattern for a large, heterogeneous region. Frequency distribu-tions of landscape indices illustrate problems associated with the grain or resolution of the data. Grain should be 2 to 5 times smaller than the spatial features of interest. The analyses also reveal that the indices are sensi-tive to the calculation scale, i.e., the unit area or extent over which the index is computed. This "sample area" must be 2 to 5 times larger than landscape patches to avoid bias in calculating the indices.

Keywords

grain, extent, index

Citation

O''Neill, R.V.; Hunsaker, C.T.; Timmins, S.P.; Jackson, B.L.; Jones, K.B.; Riitters, Kurt H.; Wickham, James D. 1996. Scale problems in reporting landscape pattern at the regional scale. Landscape Ecology vol.11 no. 3 pp 169-180 (1996)