Aesthetic 2D-Index
The quotient of the perimeter and the area of forests can be used as an index to describe the aesthetic edge effect of forest stands or afforestations. propose an. For linear features like rivers, the quotient of the nearest distance from start to end point to the real length gives an index of the irregularity of the element (Weidenbach 1990). We used the index proposed by Forman & Godron (1986, p. 189) to describe the shape of forest patches in Burggen North and Burggen South (see ../report98/burgmap.gif). A small number represent uniform shapes, i.e. a circle has an index of 1. The 2D-indices in Burggen reaches from 1,05 to 4,94.

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Weighted (arithmetic) average of all Forest Quotients in Burggen North: 3,09 (2,11)

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Weighted (arithmetic) average of all Forest Quotients in Burggen South: 3,43 (1,72)