 |
pij* = perimeter of patch ij in terms of number of cell surfaces. aij* = area of patch ij in terms of number of cells. Z = total number of cells in the landscape. |
| Description | COHESION equals 1 minus the sum of patch perimeter (in terms of number of cell surfaces) divided by the sum of patch perimeter times the square root of patch area (in terms of number of cells) for patches of the corresponding patch type, divided by 1 minus 1 over the square root of the total number of cells in the landscape, multiplied by 100 to convert to a percentage. Note, total landscape area (Z) excludes any internal background present. |
| Units | |
| Range | 0 < COHESION < 100 COHESION approaches 0 as the proportion of the landscape comprised of the focal class decreases and becomes increasingly subdivided and less physically connected. COHESION increases monotonically as the proportion of the landscape comprised of the focal class increases until an asymptote is reached near the percolation threshold (see background discussion). COHESION is given as 0 if the landscape consists of a single non-background cell. |
| Comments | Patch cohesion index measures the physical connectedness of the corresponding patch type. Below the percolation threshold, patch cohesion is sensitive to the aggregation of the focal class. Patch cohesion increases as the patch type becomes more clumped or aggregated in its distribution; hence, more physically connected. Above the percolation threshold, patch cohesion does not appear to be sensitive to patch configuration (Gustafson 1998). |
