Scribd
Upload
22 views

Lab 4. Point Pattern Analysis

1) The document describes using various point pattern analysis tools in ArcGIS to analyze the spatial distribution of 3605 tree locations. 2) Density-based tools include creating a fishnet grid and counting trees within each cell, tessellating the study area based on elevation intervals and counting trees within each interval, and using the point density and kernel density tools to generate continuous density surfaces. 3) A distance-based tool, the nearest neighbor analysis, is used to quantify the average distance between neighboring trees to analyze the spatial interaction of tree locations.

Uploaded by

Daniyal Abbasi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
22 views

Lab 4. Point Pattern Analysis

1) The document describes using various point pattern analysis tools in ArcGIS to analyze the spatial distribution of 3605 tree locations. 2) Density-based tools include creating a fishnet grid and counting trees within each cell, tessellating the study area based on elevation intervals and counting trees within each interval, and using the point density and kernel density tools to generate continuous density surfaces. 3) A distance-based tool, the nearest neighbor analysis, is used to quantify the average distance between neighboring trees to analyze the spatial interaction of tree locations.

Uploaded by

Daniyal Abbasi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 38

Point Pattern Analysis

LAB 4
Density based: Gridded quadrat
count
The map consists of a layer, Beilschmiedia tree, that plots the location of 3605 trees. It
is assumed to be a complete census of trees. The Elevation.img layer is a raster of
elevation values recorded in meters.
Density based: Gridded quadrat count
Add Data of Tree and DEM
Data Management >> Feature Class >> Create Fishnet tool
We’ll create a uniform grid (5 rows by 10 columns). The x-axis covers a range of 0
to 1000 (meters) and the y-axis covers a range of 0 to 500 (meters). Set the output
type to Polygon and name it Grid.shp.
Note that the map’s coordinate system is not explicitly defined, but as long as we know that
the trees were recorded in a local Cartesian coordinate system that preserves distance, we
should be fine.

Next, we will tally the number of trees within each grid cell.
Right-click on the newly create Grid layer and
select Joins and Relates >> Join

we’ll use the spatial


join option

The layer whose features will be tallied in the Grid layer is the Beilschmiedia tree layer. By default,
this tool will compute the total number of points in each grid cell so we do not need to compute any
other summary. We’ll name the output Join_Output.shp
Choose the layer = tree
Join Output

Change Join_Output’s symbology to reflect the Count_ values.

The output shapefile has a field called Count_ that tallies the points in each polygon
Density based:
Tessellated quadrat count
Firstly, We have created quadrats from uniform grid.
Now, We will create quadrats based on elevation intervals for the purpose
of counting the number of trees at different elevation ranges.
Spatial Analyst Tools >> Reclass >> Reclassify
We will create equal interval classes.

the upper range value to 160 to ensure that all input values are reclassified.
Before running the Reclassify tool, we might want to set the lower bound to a smaller
value like 119, to make sure that we are not excluding values due to rounding errors.
This can be done directly in the reclassification table.

Name the output Reclass_elev.tif then click OK to run the


geoprocess.
Next, we’ll convert the categorical raster to a vector layer. Note that this new raster has an
attributes table whereas the original raster did not. This is to be expected since the newly
created raster has just 4 unique integer values (ArcMap will not create a raster attributes
table if there are too many unique pixel values).
Conversion Tools >> From Raster >> Raster to Polygon and populate
the fields as follows:
Next, we’ll tally the number of points in each tessellated surface using the spatial
join workflow described earlier.
Right-click the quadrat_tess layer and select Joins and Relates >> Join.
Symbolize the newly created Join_Output_2 layer using
the Count_ field.
Right click on the attributes table, you’ll note the one-to-one relationship
between polygons and attribute values.

We will want to reduce the number of records to just four (one for each unique elevation interval) using
the dissolve tool. Note that the elevation interval value is named GRIDCODE (this is the default vector
attribute name when converting from raster to vector).
From the Geoprocessing pull-down menu select Dissolve.

Set Join_Output_2 as the input layer.


Select gridcode as the dissolve field.
From the Statistics Fields(s) pull-down menu select Count_.
This attribute will be added to the Field list below.
Then select SUM as the statistic type. Name the output Join_Output_2_dis.shp.
Dissolve Tool
Right click > Join_Output2 >
The new shapefile now has just four records (a one-to-many relationship).

We could compare the counts between all four elevation intervals however, the area of each
interval may not be the same (recall the modifiable aerial unit problem). So we should normalize
the count to area. This will require that we create two new attribute fields: Area and Density (both
data types stored as Float).
Add field
Add two new fields from Add Field option: Area and Density.
Make sure to set their types to Float.
Calculate area:
For the Area field, compute its area by right-clicking the column header >> Calculate
Geometry.

Note that the coordinate system is in meters (even though it’s not explicitly defined in the layer’s CS).
For the Density field, type in the
expression [SUM_Count_]/[Area] via right-clicking the column header
>> Field Calculator:

Symbolize join_Output_2_dis using the Density Attribute


From the View pull-down menu select Graphs >> Create
Graphs and populate the fields as follows:

The plot suggests a peak tree density at the third elevation interval (elevation of 139.6 m to 149.6 m,
roughly). Note that the point symbol colors match those of the input shapefile. We can save the plot
or dismiss it.
Density based: Point density tool
Spatial Analyst Tools >> Density >> Point Density.
We’re creating a density map of tree counts.

Click OK to close the Environments setting and populate


the Point Density tool fields as follows:
Point Density Tool
Right Click on Point density > Properties > Symbology
Set the new raster’s symbology classification scheme to equal interval (10 classes)
Assign No Color to the pixel value of 0
Each pixel is assigned the number of points within a 3x3 pixel search window then divided by
the area of that search window. For example, if a cell has one point inside the search
window, its output value will be:
1 point / (9 cells * 100m2 area per cell) = 0.0011 points per square meter (within a 3x3 search
window)

Note that the point density function is a focal operation; behind the scenes, ArcMap converts the
point layer to a raster before computing the output density values
Density based: Kernel density tool
ArcMap offers two density tools: a point density (covered in the last step) and a kernel
density tool. This would seem to suggest that these tools perform distinct operations when
in fact the point density tool is simply a special case of a kernel density function whereby
all input values in the focal operation are assigned equal weight. ArcMap’s Kernel density
tool applies a quartic function that assigns a non-uniform weight to each point based on its
proximity to the output cell. This tool tends to generate smoother density rasters.
Spatial Analyst Tools >> Density >> Kernel Density.

Output Cell size = 10


Search Radius = 15

Set the extent in the Environments window as outlined in


the previous step then populate the fields as follows:
Next, generate a symbology scheme similar to the one used in
the last step (make sure to set 0 pixel values to no color).

Note the smoother appearance of density values compared to the Point Density tool output.
Distance Based: nearest neighbor tool

So far, we’ve explored density based approaches to quantifying point patterns.

Density based analysis usually focuses on a point pattern’s first order property—i.e. its
distribution vis-à-vis location. Another property of interest is a point pattern’s spatial
interaction, a second order effect. A statistic that can be used to quantify a point pattern’s
second order property is the average nearest neighbor (ANN) statistic.
Spatial Statistics Tools >> Analyzing Patterns >> Average
Nearest Neighbor
Also populate the fields as follows (make sure to check the Generate Report option).
The output is not a data layer but a report saved as an HTML file. To view
this file, open the Results tab from the Geoprocessing pull-down menu.
In the Results tab, expand Current Session >> Average Nearest Neighbor (if you ran
more than one ANN analysis, pick the top-most instance)
Double-click on the Report File:Nearest Neighbor_Result link.

You might notice a yellow warning symbol next to the geo-process. It’s simply indicating that
the tool does not recognize this layer as being in a projected (Cartesian) coordinate system.
Recall that the file has no defined CS, but it is assumed that the tree locations were geo-
located on a planar coordinate system. This is a good reminder that this tool measures
planar distances and not geodesic distances.
Result Summary

The coordinate system was never explicitly defined in this layer so the software defines
the units as “unknown”. This is fine since we know that the units are in meters. The
output indicates that the average distance between first order neighboring trees is
about 4.3 meters.

You might also like