Mapping Spatial Variations of Land Cover in a Coastal Landscape Using Pattern Metrics

The aim of this study is to analyze spatial variations of land cover using pattern metrics in the case of a Mediterranean coastal area. Various composition and configuration metrics were used to analyze characteristics of land cover and its spatial heterogeneity. Satellite images (i.e., SPOT) were used to classify land cover. Pattern analyses were conducted in Erdemli district of Mersin, Turkey, from coastline to about 200m ASL. Landscape patterns were quantified and mapped on the basis of number of patches (NP), edge density (ED), largest patch index (LPI), aggregation index (AI), Shannon's and Simpson's diversity and evenness indices (SHDI, SIDI, SHEI, SIEI). A relationship between observed patterns/calculated indices and current land uses were investigated. Results showed that many of the pattern features differed between the coast and upper lands due to varying composition and configuration characteristics of land cover types under investigation.