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Analysis of institutional authors

Linares, JAuthorEsparza, JAuthor

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A free and open source programming library for landscape metrics calculations

Publicated to:Environmental Modelling & Software. 31 131-140 - 2012-05-01 31(), DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2011.10.009

Authors: Zaragozi, B; Belda, A; Linares, J; Martinez-Perez, J E; Navarro, J T; Esparza, J

Affiliations

Univ Alicante, Inst Geog - Author
Univ Alicante, Nat Resources Mapping Unit - Author
Univ Politecn Valencia, Dept Informat Syst & Computat - Author

Abstract

Landscape metrics are used in a wide range of environmental studies such as land use change and land degradation studies, soil erosion and run-off predictions, management of hunting communities, and strategic planning for environmental management, to name just a few. Due to their utility for a variety of applications, there are many indices and software packages that have been designed to provide calculations and analysis of landscape structure patterns in categorical maps. With the purpose of making a comparison between the most used tools (Fragstats, V-Late, PA4 ... ), this paper examines their advantages and disadvantages in order to create a list of common features that need to be incorporated into this type of software. An Application Programming Interface (API) is produced without limitations on data input, that is capable of calculating vector or raster metrics and is extensible. This API should make it possible not only to build third party applications easily, but also make it possible to add new metrics and research into new paradigms related to traditional landscape metrics. Land-metrics DIY (Do It Yourself) is the library presented in this paper. It can calculate almost 40 landscape metrics from geometry provided by an ESRI Shapefile. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Application programming interfaces (api)C (programming language)C sharpComputer systems programmingData setEnvironmental managementFragstatsFree and open source softwareFree and open source softwaresGeographic information systemsGeographical information systemGeographical information systemsGisHeterogeneityImpactsLand useLand-use changeLandscape metricsLandscape structureMapOpen systemsPatternsScaleSoftware

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Environmental Modelling & Software due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2012, it was in position 8/100, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from the Field Citation Ratio (FCR) of the Dimensions source, it yields a value of: 17.37, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: Dimensions Jun 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-06-29, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 40
  • Scopus: 43

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-06-29:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 185 (PlumX).

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: Last Author (Esparza Peidro, Javier).