Estimating metrics of forest spatial pattern from large area forest inventory cluster samples

摘要

The interest in ecologically meaningful information from forest inventories is increasing. Forest area and its characteristics of spatial distribution are among this information. This paper Describes a technique for deriving some metrics of forest spatial pattern from nonmapped forest Inventory samples. the technique is developed for clusters of subplots, though applicable also for Other plot types. It evaluates the area of the three categories: forest, nonforest, and buffer, estimated By the percentage of cluster plots where all, none, or some subplot centers fall into forest.