r.li.patchdensity(1)

NAME
r.li.patchdensity - Calculates patch density index on a raster map, using a 4 neighbour algorithm

KEYWORDS
raster, landscape structure analysis, patch index

SYNOPSIS
r.li.patchdensity
r.li.patchdensity --help
r.li.patchdensity input=name config=name output=name [--overwrite] [--help] [--verbose] [--quiet] [--ui]

  Flags:

--overwrite
    Allow output files to overwrite existing files

--help
    Print usage summary

--verbose
    Verbose module output

--quiet
    Quiet module output

--ui
    Force launching GUI dialog

  Parameters:

input=name [required]
    Name of input raster map

config=name [required]
    Configuration file

output=name [required]
    Name for output raster map

DESCRIPTION
r.li.patchdensity calculates the "patch density index", the number of patches per square kilometer, as:

PD = Npatch / A

with:

    •   A:sampling area size

    •   Npatch: number of patches

This index is calculated using a 4 neighbour algorithm, diagonal cells are ignored when tracing a patch.

NOTES
Do not use absolute path names for the config and output file/map parameters. If the "moving window" method was selected in g.gui.rlisetup, then the output will be a raster map, otherwise an ASCII file will be generated in the folder C:\Users\userxy\AppData\Roaming\GRASS8\r.li\output\ (MS-Windows) or $HOME/.grass8/r.li/output/ (GNU/Linux).

A sample area of only NULL values is considered to have zero patches, that is, the result is always ≥ 0.

EXAMPLES
To calculate patch density index on map my_map, using my_conf configuration file (previously defined with g.gui.rlisetup) and saving results in my_out, run:

r.li.patchdensity input=my_map conf=my_conf output=my_out

Example for Spearfish forest areas:

g.region raster=landcover.30m -p
# extract forested areas:
r.category landcover.30m
r.mapcalc "forests = if(landcover.30m >= 41 && landcover.30m <= 43, 1, null())"
# patch density (7x7 moving window defined in g.gui.rlisetup):
r.li.patchdensity forests conf=movwindow7 out=forests_p_dens7
r.univar forests_p_dens7
d.rast.leg forests_p_dens7
r.to.vect forests out=forests feature=area
d.vect forests type=boundary

Forest map (North Carolina sample dataset) example:

g.region raster=landclass96 -p
r.mapcalc "forests = if(landclass96 == 5, 1, null() )"
r.li.patchdensity input=forests conf=movwindow7 out=forests_patchdensity_mov7
# verify
r.univar forests_patchdensity_mov7
r.to.vect input=forests output=forests type=area
d.mon wx0
d.rast forests_patchdensity_mov7
d.vect forests type=boundary

SEE ALSO
r.li (package overview), g.gui.rlisetup

REFERENCES
McGarigal, K., and B. J. Marks. 1995. FRAGSTATS: spatial pattern analysis program for quantifying landscape structure. USDA For. Serv. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-351. (PDF)

AUTHORS
Michael Shapiro - CERL (patch identification)
Markus Metz (statistics)

SOURCE CODE

Available at: r.li.patchdensity source code (history)

Latest change: Friday Apr 17 01:04:26 2026 in commit: 5a31d549cc0150239894bd2b9e67250af87d38b5

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