RangeModel: tools for exploring and assessing geometric constraints on species richness (the mid‐domain effect) along transects

RangeModel is a computer application that offers animated demonstrations of the mechanism behind the mid‐domain effect. The program also provides analytical tools for the assessment of geometric constraints in empirical datasets for one‐dimensional domains (transects). The mid‐domain effect (MDE) is the increasing overlap of species ranges towards the center of a shared, bounded domain due to geometric boundary constraints in relation to the distribution of range sizes, producing a peak or plateau of species richness towards the center of the domain. Domains may be spatial, temporal, or functional. RangeModel is a stand‐alone, graphical‐interface, freeware application for PC and Mac OS platforms.