Skip to main content
Calcimator

Home Range Calculator

Estimate animal home range area using a simplified Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) method from maximum observed distance.

Inputs

mi

Results

MCP Home Range

19.64 km²

Home Range1,963.5 ha
Core Area (50%)9.82 km²
Core Area981.7 ha
Home Range Perimeter15.71 km
Observation Density2.55 pts/km²
Sample AdequacyGood
Sample-Corrected Area19.64 km²
Effective Radius2.5
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Max Distance from Center (km) from GPS or telemetry data.
  2. Input the number of Observation Points (locations) collected.
  3. Review MCP Home Range and the 95% Kernel Home Range area in km2.
  4. Check Core Area (50% utilization) to identify the most intensively used portion of the range.
  5. Use Observation Density and Sample Adequacy to assess whether more data points are needed.

How the result changes with Max Distance from Center

Max Distance from CenterMCP Home Range
10031,415.93 km²
350384,845.1 km²
6501,327,322.9 km²
9002,544,690.05 km²

What each input means

Max Distance from Center
Maximum distance observed from the center of activity (or between any two relocation points) in km.
Observation Points
Total number of GPS fixes or relocations recorded. At least 30 points recommended for reliable MCP estimates.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Max Distance from Center = 2.5, Observation Points = 50 = 2 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate MCP Home Range
    MCP Home Range
    19.635 = 19.635
  3. Calculate Home Range
    Home Range
    1963.5 = 1963.5
  4. Calculate Core Area
    Core Area
    9.817 = 9.817

Related Calculators

The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.

Ecology

Mark-Recapture Population Estimator

Estimate wild population size using the Lincoln-Petersen mark-recapture method with Chapman correction and confidence intervals.

Ecology

Population Growth Calculator

Model logistic and exponential population growth over time using initial population, growth rate, and carrying capacity.

Precision Agriculture

Telemetry Data Budget Calculator

Estimate cellular data usage and cost from IoT sensor count, reporting frequency, and message size.

Ecology

Carbon Flux Calculator

Calculate Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) from gross primary production and ecosystem respiration. Determine if an ecosystem is a carbon sink or source.

More in Environment, Weather & Climate.