Fractal dimension estimates of a fragmented landscape: sources of variability |
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Authors: | Alain Leduc Yves T Prairie Yves Bergeron |
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Institution: | (1) Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Forestière (GREF), Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 Succursale A, H3C 3P8 Montréal, Québec, Canada;(2) Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie (GRIL), Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 Succursale A, H3C 3P8 Montréal, Québec, Canada |
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Abstract: | Although often seen as a scale-independent measure, we show that the fractal dimension of the forest cover of the Cazaville Region changes with spatial scale. Sources of variability in the estimation of fractal dimensions are multiple. First, the measured phenomenon does not always show the properties of a pure fractal for all scales, but rather exhibits local self-similarity within certain scale ranges. Moreover, some sampling components such as area of sampling unit, the use of a transect in the estimation of the variability of a plane, the location, and the orientation of a transect all affect, to different degrees, the estimation of the fractal dimension. This paper assesses the relative importance of these components in the estimation of the fractal dimension of the spatial distribution of woodlots in a fragmented landscape. Results show that different sources of variability should be considered when comparing fractal dimensions from different studies or regions. |
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Keywords: | Semivariogram anisotropy grain size effect scale effect |
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