28.27
m²
424.1
m²
375
trees/ha
10,603
m²/ha
106
%
28.27
m²
424.1
m²
375
trees/ha
10,603
m²/ha
106
%
The Crown Cover Calculator estimates the percentage of ground area covered by tree crowns, a fundamental metric in forest ecology and land classification. Crown cover (also called canopy cover) influences light availability on the forest floor, microclimate, habitat quality, and ecosystem processes. It is used in forest type classification (open woodland vs. closed forest), remote sensing validation, and ecological monitoring.
Enter the average crown diameter, number of trees in your sample plot, and the plot area. The calculator assumes circular crowns and computes individual crown area, total crown area, and the coverage percentage. Note that values above 100% indicate substantial crown overlap, which is normal in dense forests.
The calculator models each tree crown as a circle:
This calculation assumes uniform crown size (using the mean) and circular crown projections. In practice, crowns are irregular and often overlap. Values exceeding 100% indicate multi-layered canopy overlap. For precise crown cover assessment, canopy photography or LiDAR-based methods are preferred.
Inputs
Results
10 trees with 4 m crowns in 400 m² give 31% cover, typical of open woodland classification.
Inputs
Results
12 trees with 8 m crowns exceed 100% cover (150.8%), indicating dense canopy with significant overlap.
Yes. When tree crowns overlap vertically (as in multi-layered forests), the sum of individual crown projections can exceed the ground area. This is common in dense forests with multiple canopy layers. Crown cover above 100% indicates a multi-storied canopy where some ground points are shaded by two or more tree crowns. Some classification systems cap crown cover at 100%, while others report the full overlapping value.
Common methods include: (1) Crown mapping: measure crown diameter in two perpendicular directions for each tree and calculate projected area. (2) Line intercept: lay a transect and measure the proportion occupied by crown projections. (3) Point sampling: look vertically upward at multiple random points and record whether canopy is present. (4) Hemispherical photography: take upward photos with a fisheye lens and analyze canopy gap fraction. (5) LiDAR: high-resolution 3D scanning of canopy structure.
Forest definitions vary by country and organization. The FAO defines a forest as having at least 10% crown cover (trees capable of reaching 5 m height at maturity) on an area of at least 0.5 hectares. Many national definitions require 20-30% cover. Open woodland is typically 10-40% cover, closed forest is above 40-60%, and dense forest exceeds 70% cover. These thresholds affect land-use classification, carbon accounting, and international reporting.
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