 |
aij = area (m2) of patch ij. A = total landscape area (m2). |
| Description | SPLIT equals the total landscape area (m2) squared divided by the sum of patch area (m2) squared, summed across all patches in the landscape. Note, total landscape area (A) includes any internal background present. |
| Units | None |
| Range | 1 ≦ SPLIT ≦ number of cells in the landscape squared SPLIT = 1 when the landscape consists of single patch. SPLIT increases as the landscape is increasingly subdivided into smaller patches and achieves its maximum value when the landscape is maximally subdivided; that is, when every cell is a separate patch. |
| Comments | Split is based on the cumulative patch area distribution and is interpreted as the effective mesh number, or number of patches with a constant patch size when the landscape is subdivided into S patches, where S is the value of the splitting index. |
