A comparison between the most important forest spatial pattern indexes

Abstract

In this paper, a review of the most important spatial distribution of trees indexes is presented: Fisher, Hopkins y Skellam, Byth y Ripley, Batcheler, Clark y Evans, Holgate N, y Holgate F. Tree plots with different patterns: regular, random and clustered have been simulated. For each plot the spatial distribution indexes are calculated. In order to estimate the index capacity for discriminating different patterns three fraquency curves are represented for each index: (regular, random and clustered). The overlap area between two curves is used as a measure of the index ability for discriminating the correspondent patterns. According to these overlap areas we conclude that the Byth, Ripley index is the most adequate for the discrimination of tree patterns.