Technically I would say yes. You can scale down the size for easier study and more workable figures but the problem is a small area might only represent one aspect of the satoyama landscape and to my mind satoyama is a combination or mosaic of varios components.

Thank you for this answer. In consequence, do you think that we could adapt the SI to work at smaller scale ? Indeed, each scale will have his own complexity and therefore could be represented by an other mosaic of other components.

If this hypothesis were verified, our problem would probably be the categorization of the differents landscape components. Indeed, does the more they will be precise, the more our scale should be small ? In fact how could we define a pertinent association between scale and land use categories in order to make sense for the indicator ?

ps: sorry for my english, I didn't practice for a while now so do not hesitate if something is not clear !

The Satoyama Index is a biodiversity indicator calculated based on habitat diversity. Therefore it can be used on any scale because habitat diversity will not differ significantly if one considers a fraction of a region. On the basis of the mosaic etc. which is another aspect of Satoyama, new ways of evaluating would be needed since habitat diversity cannot be the sole indicator for measuring satoyama. I believe that economical and social factors should also play a role and that is one of the focuses of my current research.

This is to thank you all...can any one give details how to calculate the Satoyama Index (in details) and how we can relate it to other such indices...my student is working on Ethiopian habitats and will be helpful for her.

Dear Dr. Zuberi, It would be good if your student would study the article "The Satoyama Index: A biodiversity indicator for agricultural landscapes" by Kadoya and Washitani. Cheers, Devon

Thank you Dr Devon Dublin..yes I shall tell her...may be I shall come back to you for further help...regards

Sorry Dr Dublin...she said she has to purchase the article from Sci Direct...she or myself can not !!! Is it possible to get a copy free from somewhere? We are handicapped in the Third World in many ways ..!!

regards

Dear M. zuberi, I think that you can contact the authors in order to ask them for the article (I don't have any access to science direct either and I often contact authors this way...), their emails are available on the right side of the abstract in science direct. Otherwise sometimes articles are available freely on the internet by tipping their titles in google research bar... but maybe it could be more interesting for you to contact the author in order to ask him directly your questions ?

regards