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Calculation of Configurational Entropy in Complex Landscapes
1Rocky Mountain Research Station, US Forest Service, 2500 S Pine Knoll Dr., Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 3, 2020
Summary
This study introduces a new method to calculate landscape configurational entropy, a measure of landscape disorder. This approach overcomes previous limitations, enabling accurate entropy calculations for any landscape size or complexity.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Thermodynamics
- Spatial Analysis
Background:
- Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics are fundamental to natural processes.
- Previous methods for calculating landscape configurational entropy were limited by computational complexity for large landscapes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an unbiased and computationally feasible method for calculating landscape configurational entropy.
- To enable the application of entropy calculations to real-world landscapes of any scale.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the proportion of arrangements instead of the total number to calculate relative configurational entropy.
- Applied the central limit theorem to demonstrate normally distributed edge lengths in randomized landscapes.
- Fitted parametric probability density functions to estimate expected proportions of configurations.
Main Results:
- Developed a method to calculate configurational entropy for any landscape, regardless of size or number of classes.
- Showed that landscape configurational entropy is related to dimensionality, class number, evenness, and heterogeneity.
- Demonstrated that landscape properties like size, richness, and diversity predict the distribution of edge lengths.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a practical tool for measuring and comparing landscape disorder objectively.
- Advances enable the estimation of macrostate distributions and relative configurational entropy for observed landscapes.
- Configurational entropy can now be used as an applied tool in ecological research.
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