The bifurcation ratio (Rb) in Strahler stream ordering is defined as the ratio of the number of stream segments of a given order to the number of segments of the next higher order: Rb = N(u) / N(u+1), where N(u) is the number of stream segments of order u. This ratio quantifies how strongly a drainage network branches from lower to higher stream orders, with typical natural drainage basins showing bifurcation ratios in the range of about 3 to 5.
From the stream network diagram, the first-order stream segments (the smallest, unbranched tributary channels at the outermost extremities of the network) are counted, along with...
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