Ion Andronache‡Corresponding author: Ion Andronache ( ion.andronache@geo.unibuc.ro ) Academic editor: Chad Staddon © Ion Andronache. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Citation:
Andronache I (2025) Application of fractal analysis in interpreting 2D and 3D grayscale images: Methodologies and case studies. Journal of the Bulgarian Geographical Society 52: 157-182. https://doi.org/10.3897/jbgs.e145478 |  |
This study investigates the application and performance of several fractal analysis methods for interpreting complex spatial patterns in 2D and 3D grayscale images. Using synthetic datasets with known properties, we systematically evaluate the accuracy of multiple fractal metrics. Among these, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) dimension and Higuchi dimension proved the most effective in capturing both isotropic and anisotropic structural complexity. The methods were then applied to case studies that address land use change, deforestation, reveal fragmentation patterns, and spatial heterogeneity. Notably, fractal metrics offer consistent and scalable tools for monitoring landscape transformations over time, providing valuable insights for environmental assessment and biodiversity conservation.