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Pi = proportion of the landscape occupied by patch type (class) i. aij = area (m2) of patch ij. A = total landscape area (m2). |
| Description | PLAND equals the sum of the areas (m2) of all patches of the corresponding patch type, divided by total landscape area (m2), multiplied by 100 (to convert to a percentage); in other words, PLAND equals the percentage the landscape comprised of the corresponding patch type. Note, total landscape area (A) includes any internal background present. |
| Units | Percent |
| Range | 0 < PLAND ≦ 100 PLAND approaches 0 when the corresponding patch type (class) becomes increasingly rare in the landscape. PLAND = 100 when the entire landscape consists of a single patch type; that is, when the entire image is comprised of a single patch. |
| Comments | Percentage of landscape quantifies the proportional abundance of each patch type in the landscape. Like total class area, it is a measure of landscape composition important in many ecological applications. However, because PLAND is a relative measure, it may be a more appropriate measure of landscape composition than class area for comparing among landscapes of varying sizes. |
