IMT

IMT - Interactive Metrics Tool

Development

IMT was developed within the SPIN project (Contract No. EVG2-2000-0512, founded by the 5th Framework Program of the EU).

Objective / Purpose

Didactical tool for educational purposes in landscape ecology (landscape metrics) on an introductory level in applied semiars.

Author / Principal Investigator

LARG, Stefan Lang

Platform specification

IMT has been tested under ArcView 3.0 to ArcView 3.3 in a Windows operating system 98/NT/2000/XP.

Development environment

Avenue Skript, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel

Background and brief description / Main functions

This tool introduces a didactical software suite called Interactive Metrics Tool (IMT). It provides a collection of commonly used landscape metrics for the utilization of vector-based landscape structure analysis on any level. Besides its analytical functionality it provides insight into the calculation procedure and gives access to implemented formu-las through its open structure. Initially it was considered as a means to communicate a proposed set metrics for the EU project SPIN (Spatial Indicators for European Nature Conservation, www.spin-project.org). Evaluating the tool it has been used within the framework of a distance learning course on quantitative landscape structure analysis.

As the name indicates the IMT is an interactive tool for the utilization of structural indicators. The general idea of the tool is that an interactive PowerPoint show guides the user through several steps of metric-based analysis. 'Interactive' means that ArcView Projects and Excel spreadsheets can be directly accessed from the slides. Thus, with the different software packages open, the user will read through the steps in PowerPoint, while spatial analysis is performed in ArcView and final calculations are made in Excel. All ArcView projects are customized according to the respective purpose of analysis.

The tool comprises seven categories of metrics, which can be utilized for a quantitative assess-ment of structural properties of the landscape. Each category addresses specific facets of analysis (i.e. area analysis, form analysis, edge analysis, core area analysis, proximity analysis, diversity analysis, subdivision analysis.) These groups of metrics are considered to cover principal aspects of structural landscape assessment of crucial ecological meaningfulness. Due to its preliminary character it is mainly designed for internal use within project partners. It is supposed to be applied in the different test areas to support the specification of the final set of metrics. Besides that is was created under didactical considerations.

Source Code

Available in MS PowerPoint and ArcView 3.x projects.

Status

The current version 0.9 is in an evaluation status until the SPIN project end 04/2004.

Pricing

IMT is free of charge under its attached license agreement.

Related Software products

Fragstats Arc*

LeapII

Download

The latest version 0.9 you can download here.

Literature

Lang, S. & H. Klug (2006): Interactive Metrics Tool (IMT) - a didactical suite for teaching and applying landscape metrics. In: Ekológia, Supplement 25, 131-40.

For further information please contact:

email: stefan.lang@sbg.ac.at