Scale of spatial pattern: four methods compared

Abstract

Four methods of pattern analysis were compared using simulated data. Simulated transects were of five types: 1) equal patch-equal gap, in which gap and patch length were equal, 2) unequal but fixed patch-fixed gap, in which patch length was approximately one sixth gap length, and transects in which 3) the length of the patch, or 4) gap, or 5) both varied randomly. The first peak of the variance-block size graph was used to identify patch size, instead of the more commonly used highest peak.