ShinyFPZ is an interactive R Shiny application for exploring and classifying Functional Process Zones (FPZs) from river network datasets using hydrogeomorphic variables obtained from the OpenRES QGIS plugin. The app provides a streamlined workflow for clustering river segments, visualizing results, and exporting both analytical and spatial outputs.

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Overview

Functional Process Zones (FPZs) represent distinct hydrogeomorphic segments of river networks defined by combinations of environmental variables such as elevation, valley width, sinuosity, and geological context. ShinyFPZ enables users to:

• Upload a spatial dataset (zipped shapefile)
• Select hydrogeomorphic variables for clustering
• Perform FPZ classification using hierarchical clustering
• Explore clustering diagnostics
• Visualize FPZ results on an interactive map
• Export figures, tables, and spatial outputs

The app is designed for rapid exploratory analysis and communication of FPZ classifications.

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Key Features

Interactive FPZ Classification

• Hierarchical clustering using Ward.D2
• Gower distance to support mixed numeric and categorical variables
• Two clustering workflows:
  • Silhouette-based selection of cluster number
  • Tree height cutoff

Visualization Tools

ShinyFPZ generates several diagnostic plots:

• Silhouette plot
• Hierarchical dendrogram
• PCA biplot showing relationships among hydrogeomorphic variables
• Interactive Leaflet map displaying FPZ classifications

Interactive Mapping

The Leaflet map allows users to:

• View FPZ classes spatially
• Explore results for point or line datasets
• Inspect map diagnostics including feature counts and geometry types

Exportable Outputs

Users can export:

• Silhouette plot (.png)
• Dendrogram (.png)
• PCA biplot (.png)
• Silhouette table (.csv)
• Cluster summary (.csv)
• Spatial output (.gpkg)

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Input Data Requirements

ShinyFPZ expects a zipped shapefile containing:

• .shp
• .shx
• .dbf
• .prj

The dataset should contain hydrogeomorphic attributes used for FPZ classification generated by the OpenRES QGIS plugin. Example variables often used include:

Variable	Description
ELE	Elevation
PRE	Precipitation
GEO	Geological category
VW	Valley width
VFW	Valley floor width
RAT	Valley width ratio
SIN	Channel sinuosity
RVS/LVS/DVS	Valley slope metrics

Both point and line geometries are supported.

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FPZ Clustering Workflow

1. Upload a zipped shapefile
2. Select hydrogeomorphic variables
3. Specify clustering options
4. Run FPZ classification
5. Inspect diagnostics:
   • silhouette curve
   • dendrogram
   • PCA biplot
6. Explore FPZ spatial patterns on the interactive map
7. Export results

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Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/ShinyFPZ.git

Install required R packages:

install.packages(c(
  "shiny",
  "sf",
  "dplyr",
  "cluster",
  "ggplot2",
  "FactoMineR",
  "RColorBrewer",
  "DT",
  "tidyr",
  "leaflet"
))

Run the app:

shiny::runApp("ShinyFPZ")

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Example Use Cases

ShinyFPZ is useful for:

• River network classification
• Exploratory hydrogeomorphic analysis
• Environmental stratification of watersheds
• Supporting biodiversity and habitat studies
• FPZ mapping for restoration planning

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Project Status

ShinyFPZ is under active development. Planned improvements include:

• Additional clustering methods
• Expanded map styling options
• Improved FPZ diagnostic tools