# Utilization distribution

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A '''utilization distribution''' is a [probability distribution](/source/probability_distribution) giving the probability density that an animal is found at a given point in space. It is estimated from data sampling the location of an individual or individuals in space over a period of time using, for example, [telemetry](/source/telemetry) or [GPS](/source/GPS) based methods.

Estimation of utilization distribution was traditionally based on [histogram](/source/histogram)s but newer [nonparametric](/source/nonparametric) methods based on [Fourier transformations](/source/Fourier_transformations),<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Anderson|first=D. John|date=February 1982|title=The Home Range: A New Nonparametric Estimation Technique|journal=Ecology|language=en|volume=63|issue=1|pages=103–112|doi=10.2307/1937036|issn=0012-9658|jstor=1937036}}</ref> [kernel density](/source/Kernel_density_estimation)<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Worton|first=B. J.|date=February 1989|title=Kernel Methods for Estimating the Utilization Distribution in Home-Range Studies|journal=Ecology|language=en|volume=70|issue=1|pages=164–168|doi=10.2307/1938423|issn=0012-9658|jstor=1938423}}</ref>  and [local convex hull](/source/local_convex_hull) methods have been developed.

The typical application for this distribution is estimating the [home range](/source/home_range) distribution of animals. According to Lichti & Swihart (2011),<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lichti|first=Nathanael I.|last2=Swihart|first2=Robert K.|date=February 2011|title=Estimating utilization distributions with kernel versus local convex hull methods|journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management|language=en|volume=75|issue=2|pages=413–422|doi=10.1002/jwmg.48|issn=0022-541X}}</ref> kernel density methods provided, in many cases, less [biased](/source/Biased_estimator) home-range area estimates compared to convex hull methods.

==See also==
*[Home range](/source/Home_range)
*[Local convex hull](/source/Local_convex_hull)

== References ==
<references />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Utilization Distribution}}
Category:Types of probability distributions

{{Statistics-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Utilization distribution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilization_distribution) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilization_distribution?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.