Application of multifractals to the analysis of vegetation pattern

. A method of characterizing the geometry and statistical nature of vegetation patterns and for studying their fractal dimension is proposed. The method utilizes the concept of multifractals, and is especially suited to the description of complex patterns. The properties of multifractals and their role in detecting the scale of vegetation patterns are explained. We suggest an extension of the term multifractal for use in landscape ecology and coenology connected with patterns of many different kinds of points. Relationships between information-statistical functions and the fractal dimensions introduced are shown. A computer-simulated example demonstrates the use of statistical functions and illustrates its applicability in vegetation science.

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