(L119) Splitting Index

a_ij =     area (m²) of patch ij.

A =     total landscape area (m²).

Description

SPLIT equals the total landscape area (m²) squared divided by the sum of patch area (m²) squared, summed across all patches in the landscape. Note, total landscape area (A) includes any internal background present.

Units 

None

Range

1 ≤ SPLIT ≤ number of cells in the landscape squared

SPLIT = 1 when the landscape consists of single patch. SPLIT increases as the landscape is increasingly subdivided into smaller patches and achieves its maximum value when the landscape is maximally subdivided; that is, when every cell is a separate patch.

Comments

Split is based on the cumulative patch area distribution and is interpreted as the effective mesh number, or number of patches with a constant patch size when the landscape is subdivided into S patches, where S is the value of the splitting index.