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ENV510 Landscape Ecology and GIS
Definitions
& descriptions | Structure
& pattern | Function
& process | Change
& dynamics | Management
implications
Structure
| Features
| Patches
| Matrix
| What it is | Criteria
| Identifying | Corridors
| Measurements
| Appearance | Complexity
The matrix
is the area in the landscape in which patches are embedded. In other words,
the surrounding area that has a different species composition and structure
to the patches within it.
The matrix
is the most extensive and most connected landscape element. It plays the most
dominant role in the functioning of the landscape, or it is the most dominant
land cover type (Wickham
and Norton, 1994).
The matrix
has been described as:
The matrix
is the most connected landscape element so it has an important role in the flow
of energy, materials and species within the landscape (Goosens
et al., 1993)
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