Most common landscape metrics are calculated on a raster-basis. However, sometimes landscape information come along in vector-formats. For the calculation of landscape metrics, one must perform a vector-to-raster-transformation often resulting in a lost of information. In VLSM we implemented the following landscape metrics based on vector data:
- Effective Mesh Size based on Moser et al. 2007
- Urban Sprawl based on Ackermann et al. 2013
- Integration Index based on Meinel & Winkler 2002
- Shape Indices based on Forman & Godron 1986
- Edge Length based on Walz 2013
- Shannon’s Diversity Index for landscapes based on McGarigal et al. 1995
How to use the functions in R, please refer to the
vignette-R.
You may also want use the functions in the open-source desktop GIS
QGIS. For this, please refer to the
vignette-QGIS.
You can install the latest version of VLSM from github with:
devtools::install_github("raff-k/VLSM")Knevels, R., Brenning, A., Gingrich, S., Gruber, E., Lechner, T., Leopold, P., Petschko, H., Plutzar, C. (2021) Kulturlandschaft im Wandel: Ein indikatorenbasierter Rückblick bis in das 19. Jahrhundert. Fallstudie anhand der Gemeinden Waidhofen/Ybbs und Paldau [Cultural Landscape Change: An Indicator-Based Retrospect into the 19th Century. Case Study of the Municipalities Waidhofen/Ybbs and Paldau]. Mitteilungen der Österreichischen Geographischen Gesellschaft, 162, 255-285. doi: https://doi.org/10.1553/moegg162s255