Descriptive capacity and indicative value of territorial variables in ecological cartography

Abstract

A method is described for selecting different sets of indicator variables from sectors of an ecological hierarchical map. The indicator selection is obtained by analyzing the spatial scale on which each variable attains its maximum indicator capacity. This capacity for prediction is examined by preparing mutual information spectra of each variable using different scales of detail, that can also be viewed as hierarchical levels in a classification.

Dynamics of rural landscapes and their main driving factors: A case study in the Seine Valley, Normandy, France

“…These files were then used to calculate the organi sation of the landscape in different years and to assess spatial correlations between the driving factors and the dynamics observed. The organisation index chosen for that purpose was index C defined by De Pablo et al (1988) which is an index of the information theory group. Based on the amount of the relative abundance of land cover types in the different soil types, this index indicates the degree of mutual connectance between these sets.…”

A Methodology for Environmental Planning in Protected Natural Areas

“…This integrated assessment can be used as a basis for decisions concerning planning and zoning in the area. This technique, not often used in planning, has the advantage of providing a synthesizing, all-encompassing view of the area under analysis (Austin & Noy-Mier, 1971;Gallopin, 1982;De Pablo et al, 1987, 1988Montalvo et al, 1993). Table 1 shows the relative importance of the variables on the rst axis of the principal components analysis and accounts for 77% of data variance.…”

Landscape and Agricultural Patterns in Rural Areas: a Case Study in the Brionne Basin, Normandy, France

“…They enable, for example, agro-ecological cartographies of landscapes, as well as the analysis of land use to be carried out (e.g. Allaire et al, 1973;Bunce et al, 1975;Phipps et al, 1986a;De Pablo et al, 1988;Dufrene and Legendre, 1991;Buse, 1992;Cherrill et al, 1994).…”