Patch Characteristics

The notion of a patch tends to imply 'a discrete and internally homogeneous entity' (Kotlier and Wiens, 1990), but what actually exists in a landscape is not one set of patches but a hierarchy of patches (patches within patches) forming mosaics at different scales. This means that the internal structure within a patch at one scale reflects 'patchiness at finer scales' and the mosaic of which the patch is a part 'has a structure that is determined by patchiness at broader scales' (Kotlier and Wiens, 1990).

This means that landscapes and patches are both spatially and temporally heterogeneous.

When we talk about spatial heterogeneity or complexity in the landscape we are talking about habitat patchiness. Temporal heterogeneity corresponds to variability in patches over time.

By investigating pattern between and within patches it is possible to understand the complexity across scales and within the landscape as a whole.

Studies are restricted, in terms of defining patch boundaries, by the scale of the principal data sources used and by the detail within a patch that can be distinguished. Data sources include things like aerial photographs and satellite imagery.