Table 3 Summary of landscape metrics used for spatial and biodiversity analysis

From: Sacred heritage and environmental sustainability: carbon and biodiversity insights from Taiwan’s Fo Guang Shan Monastery and Buddha Museum

Metric

Description

Ecological Relevance

CA (ha)

Total area of land cover class

Indicates dominant habitat size

PLAND (%)

Percentage of the total landscape

Measures spatial distribution of habitats

LPI (%)

Largest contiguous patch

Reflects habitat dominance

AI (%)

Aggregation Index

Higher values = better connectivity

NLSI

Normalized Landscape Shape

Complexity of land cover boundaries

LSI

Landscape Shape Index

Quantifies shape complexity of all patches; higher values indicate more irregular and fragmented landscapes

PD (patches/ha)

Patch Density

Higher values = increased fragmentation

CONTAG

Contagion Index

Measures clustering of land cover types

SHDI

Shannon’s Diversity Index

Represents habitat diversity

SIDI

Simpson’s Diversity Index

Measures species richness and evenness

SHEI

Shannon’s Evenness Index

Indicates how evenly patch types are distributed

SIEI

Simpson’s Evenness Index

Measures the balance of patch type proportions

PRD

Patch Richness Density

Standardized number of patch types per unit area

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