Land fragmentation index for drip-irrigated field systems in the Mediterranean: A case study from Ricote (Murcia, SE Spain)

In this study, we develop a Fragmentation Index for Drip Irrigation and Distance Assessment (FIDIDA) using Geographic Information Systems. FIDIDA quantifies farms considering their transaction costs. Based on these costs, FIDIDA brings together mean plot size, degree of separation and degree of dispersion of land parcels on farm level. The index can be used to compare the individual fragmentation of farms or the land fragmentation between different study areas. The definition of FIDIDA aims at supporting the management of reasonable land fragmentation thresholds in the context of communities made of traditional small farms, while suggesting possible pathways for a gradual inversion of high land fragmentation trends through agreed plot fusion where necessary.