Spreizweite
Spreizweite is a term used in dispersion analysis to describe the typical lateral extent of a spatial phenomenon within a defined area. It refers to the width of the distribution along its primary axis of variability and is used to compare how widely a feature spreads in different contexts.
Etymology and origin: The term derives from Germanic roots, spreizen meaning to spread, and breite meaning width.
Definition and calculation: The exact definition varies by field, but common practice defines Spreizweite as the
Applications: Ecology (seed dispersal, animal movement), epidemiology (spatial spread of outbreaks), urban planning (spatial extent of
Limitations: The measure is sensitive to sampling density, boundary effects, and the choice of projection or
See also: Dispersion; Range; Spatial extent; Variance; Principal component analysis.