Link to FRAGSTATS Home Page
Link to FRAGSTATS Downloads
Link to FRAGSTATS Frequently Asked Questions Page
Links to Websites with Landscape Pattern Analysis Software
Link to FRAGSTATS workshops home page
 

FRAGSTATS: Spatial Pattern Analysis Program for Categorical Maps

Downloads

  
Quicklinks

This page is where you go to download the software and tutorial and learn about the latest release.

Release Notes

FRAGSTATS was developed as a research tool. Although we have done considerable testing of the software, it is possible that users will discover bugs that arise under specific conditions that we did not test (please report all bugs immediately to Dr. Kevin McGarigal, mcgarigalk@eco.umass.edu). Patches to correct for bugs will be released with the same version number (e.g., 3.4), but will be assigned a unique "build" number, beginning with build #1. If you are not sure what build number you have, it is listed in the "About FRAGSTATS" description available from the Help Menu after openning the FRAGSTATS executable. The latest build will be available from the download link below. Substantial changes to the software, primarily associated with the addition of new features (e.g., new metrics), will be released as a new version number, and all changes associated with each release will be documented in the release notes. Thus, it is important to check the release notes before downloading a new version. Similarly, all major updates to the Tutorial (see below) will be documented in the release notes.

Please note, the current development version is 4. We are no longer providing support for version 3.

Please also note, all of the FRAGSTATS documentation is viewable as a pdf file from the documentation web page and via the on-line Help function in the FRAGSTATS software.

Disclaimer

This software is in the public domain, and the recipient may not assert any proprietary rights thereto nor represent it to anyone as other than an Oregon State University-produced program (version 2), University of Massachusetts-produced program (version 3), or LandEco Consulting-produced (Dr. McGarigal, sole propeitor)(vesion 4). FRAGSTATS is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The user assumes all responsibility for the accuracy and suitability of this program for a specific application. In no event will the authors or the University be liable for any damages, including lost profits, lost savings, or other incidental or consequential damages arising from the use of or the inability to use this program.

Download FRAGSTATS Software, Diagnostic tool & Tutorial

IMPORTANT, READ ME FIRST: The table below provides links to the software, a diagnostic tool for ArcGIS users, and a set of tutorials, but before downloading anything, heed the following instructions:

  • Installing FRAGSTATS -- After downloading the FRAGSTATS software (below), simply extract the files to your local disk and double-click on the setup file (e.g., frg_setup_4.1.exe) and follow the onscreen instructions. Once installed, FRAGSTATS is run by double clicking on the corresponding .exe file or, more likely, from the Start menu or by double clicking on the desktop icon. Note, this is a windows-based application designed for raster images in a variety of formats. Be sure to check the release notes before downloading. Also, all FRAGSTATS documentation is included in the Help system available from the Help menu in FRAGSTATS. This documentation is identical to the information found on the documentation page of this web site.
  • ESRI ArcGIS Users -- If you intend on using ESRI ArcGrids (or Rasters), you must have a valid license for Spatial Analyst. In addition, you must have a PATH variable in your system's environmental settings that points to the Bin folder containing the aigridio.dll file that comes with ArcGIS or the Bin32 folder containing the avgridio.dll file that came with the earlier ArcView 3.3 Spatial Analyst Extension. This PATH will ofen look like this: C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\Desktop10.0\Bin for a Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit system. Note, the PATH does not end with the aigridio.dll file name -- a common error among users. Of course, the exact PATH may vary depending on your installation of ArcGIS so be sure to enter the correct path for your system. In addition, make sure that the PATH to the Bin directory is the FIRST path listed that contain ArcGIS. This PATH variable allows you to install and run FRAGSTATS from any directory on your hard disk. Alternatively, you can run FRAGSTATS from the folder containing the required .dll file, but this is not advisable. Detailed instructions for changing your environmental settings are given in the help files on data formats and in tutorial #1. In addition, if you are using ArcGrids, you cannot have spaces in the path to the directory containing the grids. Note, this pertains to the path to the grids, not the path to the Bin folder above. For example, the following path is illegal: "c:\Users\Smith\My Documents\Grids" because of the space between "My" and "Documents".
  • Diagnotic tool for ArcGIS users -- If you are an ArcGIS user and you believe that you have a valid ArcGIS licencse with Spatial Analyst and you enter any problems installing and executing FRAGSTATS 4.x, before reporting any problems, download the Diagnostic tool and run the executable and the copy the report produced and submit it with your email.
  • Tutorials -- If you are new to FRAGSTATS or seek help on how to run certain common analyses, then download the tutorial and work through the individual tutorials of interest. If you intend to work with ESRI ArcGrids, be sure to extract the tutorial files to a folder that does NOT contain any spaces in the full path (see note to ESRI ArcGrid users above). Also, since these tutorials are a new feature, we would appreciate any feedback on these tutorials: was there anything unclear or confusing in the directions? which tutorials did you work through and were they helpful? are there other topics you would like to see covered in a tutorial?
File File size Last updated Description
frg_diag.zip 611 kb 6/1/2012 FRAGSTATS diagnostic tool for ArcGIS users. If you are an ArcGIS, after verifying that you have followed the installation instructions for ArcGIS users below, and you are still encountering problems installing and executing FRAGSTATS 4, then download this file, extract the diagnostic utility and run it (by double clicking on the executable). This will determine the status of your ArcGIS installation and report on the details of your setup that will help us diagnose your problem. Copy the report that is generated and email it to us.
tutorial.zip 2.02 mb 5/28/2012 FRAGSTATS tutorial. This is a tutorial on how to use the FRAGSTATS 4 software and is intended to illustrate the basic capabilities of the software. It includes 5 individual, self-contained tutorials covering: 1) installing the software and inspecting the grids, 2) analyzing a single grid, 3) batch processing multiple grids, 4) moving window analysis, and 5) running the command line version from R. All the necessary data and files for each tutorial are provided. Simply download the zip file and extract the files to a directory of your choosing, preferably one without spaces in the path, since this can sometimes cause problems. The tutorial instructions is a pdf file in the root directory. Note, as these tutorials are new, we would appreciate any feedback you can provide on these tutorials: was there anything unclear or confusing in the directions? which tutorials did you work through and were they helpful? are there other topics you would like to see covered in a tutorial?
fragstats4.1.zip 5.70 mb 9/14/2012 FRAGSTATS software (version 4.1). This is the latest release of version 4.1 and reflects the GDAL enabled support for several additional image formats, including: GeoTIFF grid, VTP binary terrain format grid, ESRI header labelled grid, ERDAS Imagine grid, PCRaster grid, and SAGA GIS binary format grid. Otherwise, version 4.1 is identical in functionality to version 4.0. Note, this is the development version of the software and the only version currently being supported.
fragstats4.0.zip 3.87 mb 6/4/2012 FRAGSTATS software (version 4.0). This is the final release of version 4.0 and reflects the complete redesign of the software in anticipation of the addition of cell metrics and surface metrics in version 4.1. Otherwise, version 4.0 is identical in functionality to version 3.x and works with ArcGIS10.x. Note, this is the development version of the software and the only version currently being supported.
fragstats3.4.zip 441 kb 1/2/2012 FRAGSTATS software (version 3.4). This is the only release of version 3.4 and includes an executable that works with ArcGIS10.x; otherwise, it is identical to version 3.3. New users should install version 3.3 (below) first and then simply replace the fragstats.exe file with version 3.4 exe, which will ensure working help files. Current users (i.e., those with a previous install of version 3.3) can simply download version 3.4 and replace the fragstats executable with new one. Note, this version was simply an interim release for users of ArcGIS 10 while waiting for version 4.0, and is not being supported.
fragstats3.3.zip 6.15 mb 10/17/2002 FRAGSTATS software (version 3.3). This is the last fully supported version of the software. However, with the release of version 4.x, version 3.x is no longer being supported.

 

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Kevin McGarigal
Department of Environmental Conservation
University of Massachusetts
304 Holdsworth Natural Resources Center
Box 34210, Amherst, MA 01003
Fax: (413) 545-4358; Phone: (413) 577-0655
Email: mcgarigalk@eco.umass.edu
Copyright 2000 University of Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003. (413) 545-0111. This is an official page of the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. All material in this website is made available according to the Fair Use Statute of the U.S. Copyright Act