NDLI: Calculating the configurational entropy of a landscape mosaic

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Cushman, Samuel A.
Copyright Year	2015
Abstract	Applications of entropy and the second law of thermodynamics in landscape ecology are rare and poorly developed. This is a fundamental limitation given the centrally important role the second law plays in all physical and biological processes. A critical first step to exploring the utility of thermodynamics in landscape ecology is to define the configurational entropy of a landscape mosaic. In this paper I attempt to link landscape ecology to the second law of thermodynamics and the entropy concept by showing how the configurational entropy of a landscape mosaic may be calculated.I begin by drawing parallels between the configuration of a categorical landscape mosaic and the mixing of ideal gases. I propose that the idea of the thermodynamic microstate can be expressed as unique configurations of a landscape mosaic, and posit that the landscape metric Total Edge length is an effective measure of configuration for purposes of calculating configurational entropy.I propose that the entropy of a given landscape configuration can be calculated using the Boltzmann equation. Specifically, the configurational entropy can be defined as the logarithm of the number of ways a landscape of a given dimensionality, number of classes and proportionality can be arranged (microstates) that produce the observed amount of total edge (macrostate).
Starting Page	481
Ending Page	489
Page Count	9
File Format	PDF
ISSN	09212973
Journal	Landscape Ecology
Volume Number	31
Issue Number	3
e-ISSN	15729761
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Publisher Date	2015-11-07
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Subject Keyword	Entropy Landscape Configuration Composition Thermodynamics Landscape Ecology Plant Ecology Forestry Management Forestry Ecology Plant Sciences
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Geography, Planning and Development Ecology Nature and Landscape Conservation

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