Data Form ats
FRAGSTATS accepts raster images in a variety of formats (below). All input data formats have the
following common requirements:
Scale Considerations
FRAGSTATS requires the spatial grain or resolution of the grid to be > 0.001 m, but it places no
limit on the spatial extent of the landscape per se, although there are memory limitations on the size
of the grid that can be loaded. However, the distance- and area-based metrics computed in
FRAGSTATS are reported in meters and hectares, respectively. Thus, landscapes of extreme extent
and/or resolution may result in rather cumbersome numbers and/or be subject to rounding errors.
However, FRAGSTATS outputs data files in ASCII format that can be manipulated using any
database management program to rescale metrics or to convert them to other units (e.g., converting
hectares to acres).