3) Contiguity Index (CONTIG_MN)
The Contiguity Index quantifies the extent to which patches are contiguously arranged. For all types of ecosystems the accumulation of future urbanisation activities will have a negative consequence relative to the degree of contiguity. The contiguity values gradually decline as urban development intensifies. However, there was almost no change during the short-term and mid-term scenario intervals. The croplands have the largest contiguous patches resulting in higher contiguity index values followed by desert shrubs, grasslands, and managed open space, respectively. This result alludes to the fact that the existing urban agricultural fields will be less fragmented even with the added urban development, and thus expected to have a tendency to maintain current landscape form. The proposed potential development does not significantly influence the values of contiguity for ecosystem types, but if the undeveloped private areas are transformed to urban land use, the natural patches are expected to be fragmented in less contiguous form.