Alternative Text Description for FNAI Documented Element Occurrence

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays documented occurrences of endangered or rare plants and animals, high-quality natural communities, and other natural resources tracked by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). The map shows the locations and conservation status of these natural elements across the state of Florida, with features categorized by their federal listing status ranging from endangered to under review. The symbology uses different colors to distinguish between conservation status categories, revealing the distribution of protected and at-risk natural resources throughout Florida.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, extending from the panhandle region in the northwest (including Pensacola, Dothan, and Albany areas) southward through central Florida (Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland) to the southern tip of the peninsula (Miami area). Major cities labeled on the map include Jacksonville on the northeast coast, Gainesville in north-central Florida, Palm Coast and Palm Bay on the east-central coast, Cape Coral on the southwest coast, and Port St. Lucie on the southeast coast. The map shows Florida's distinctive peninsula shape bordered by the Gulf of America to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. County boundaries are visible throughout the state, and the map extends slightly beyond Florida's borders to show portions of neighboring states including southern Georgia and Alabama.

KEY INSIGHTS

Documented element occurrences are distributed throughout Florida but show distinct regional concentrations. The Florida Panhandle, particularly in the western coastal areas near Pensacola and extending eastward toward Tallahassee, shows dense clustering of documented occurrences, primarily represented by pink (threatened) and brown (not currently listed) symbols. Southern Florida, particularly the southern tip of the peninsula near Miami and the southwestern coastal region, displays substantial concentrations of documented elements with multiple conservation status categories present. The central Gulf of America coast shows moderate clustering of occurrences, while inland central Florida appears to have more dispersed occurrences. Bright red endangered species occurrences are notably concentrated in the Cape Coral area on the southwest coast and scattered in smaller clusters in the panhandle and southern peninsula regions.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

FNAI Documented Element Occurrence

This layer represents documented locations of rare or endangered species, high-quality natural communities, and other significant natural features in Florida's conservation database. Each polygon represents a documented element occurrence with its federal conservation status.

Endangered (bright red)

Appearance:

Bright red polygons and points of varying sizes.

Distribution:

Concentrated heavily in the Cape Coral area on the southwest coast, with notable clusters in the western panhandle near Pensacola, scattered occurrences in southern Miami-Dade County, and isolated occurrences in north-central and central Florida.

Notable locations:

The Cape Coral region contains the largest and most prominent endangered element occurrence shown on the map as a large red polygon. The western panhandle coastal areas show multiple small red features clustered together.

Spatial patterns:

Endangered occurrences show strong coastal associations, particularly along the Gulf of America shoreline, with limited inland presence.

Threatened (pink)

Appearance:

Pink polygons of various sizes, ranging from small points to larger area features.

Distribution:

Widespread throughout Florida with major concentrations in the western panhandle, scattered clusters in central Florida around the Orlando region, dense groupings along the east coast near Jacksonville, and substantial presence in southern Florida including the Miami area and Florida Keys.

Notable locations:

The western panhandle contains the densest concentration of threatened occurrences. Southern Florida, particularly the southernmost peninsula and Keys area, shows large pink polygons representing extensive threatened element areas.

Spatial patterns:

Threatened occurrences show both coastal and inland distributions, with clustering patterns suggesting habitat-specific concentrations. Many threatened occurrences appear in close proximity to endangered occurrences in the panhandle and southern regions.

Not Currently Listed (dark brown)

Appearance:

Dark brown polygons ranging from small to very large area features.

Distribution:

Present throughout Florida with notable concentrations in the southeast coastal region near Palm Bay and Fort Pierce, large polygons in southern Florida, and scattered occurrences in the panhandle and central peninsula.

Notable locations:

The southeast coast shows several very large brown polygons representing extensive areas of not currently listed elements. The southernmost tip of Florida near Homestead and Florida City contains prominent brown features.

Spatial patterns:

Not currently listed occurrences often appear as larger polygons compared to other status categories, suggesting documentation of broader habitat areas or natural community occurrences rather than point-specific species locations.

Threatened due to Similarity of Appearance (orange-brown)

Appearance:

Orange-brown polygons, typically small to medium in size.

Distribution:

Scattered throughout Florida with presence in the panhandle, central peninsula, and southern regions, though less common than other status categories.

Notable locations:

Small clusters appear in the western panhandle and isolated occurrences in central and southern Florida.

Spatial patterns:

This status category shows sparse, dispersed distribution without strong regional concentrations.

Species of Concern (gray-brown)

Appearance:

Gray-brown polygons, generally small in size.

Distribution:

Relatively uncommon on the map with scattered occurrences visible primarily in northern and central Florida.

Notable locations:

Limited visible presence compared to other categories.

Spatial patterns:

No dominant spatial pattern evident for this category.

Non-essential Experimental Population (rust brown)

Appearance:

Rust brown polygons, small to medium in size.

Distribution:

Sparse distribution with isolated occurrences visible in central and southern Florida.

Notable locations:

Limited presence on the map.

Spatial patterns:

Insufficient distribution to identify clear patterns.

Delisted (tan brown)

Appearance:

Tan brown polygons, typically small.

Distribution:

Rarely visible on the map with only scattered individual occurrences.

Notable locations:

Very limited presence throughout the state.

Spatial patterns:

Too sparse to determine meaningful patterns.

Proposed Endangered (orange)

Appearance:

Orange polygons, small to medium in size.

Distribution:

Scattered occurrences visible primarily in the panhandle, with isolated instances in central Florida and the southeast coast near Fort Lauderdale.

Notable locations:

Small orange features appear in the western panhandle and along the southeast coast.

Spatial patterns:

Limited distribution suggests specific species or habitat proposals in discrete locations.

Proposed (State listing) (yellow-tan)

Appearance:

Yellow-tan polygons, generally small.

Distribution:

Very limited visibility on the map with occasional occurrences.

Notable locations:

Insufficient presence to identify specific locations.

Spatial patterns:

Too sparse to determine patterns.

Proposed Threatened (pale yellow)

Appearance:

Pale yellow polygons.

Distribution:

Minimal presence visible on the map.

Notable locations:

Very limited occurrences.

Spatial patterns:

Insufficient distribution for pattern analysis.

Threatened delisted (light yellow)

Appearance:

Light yellow polygons.

Distribution:

Rarely visible on the map.

Notable locations:

Extremely limited presence.

Spatial patterns:

Too sparse to identify patterns.

Threatened, Proposed for delisting (bright yellow)

Appearance:

Bright yellow polygons.

Distribution:

Minimal visibility on the map.

Notable locations:

Very limited presence.

Spatial patterns:

Insufficient distribution to determine patterns.

Under Review (bright orange)

Appearance:

Bright orange polygons, small to medium in size.

Distribution:

Scattered occurrences visible in the panhandle and central Florida regions.

Notable locations:

Small clusters appear in the western panhandle coastal areas.

Spatial patterns:

Limited distribution with slight coastal tendency in the panhandle region.

Overlapping Patterns

Multiple conservation status categories frequently occur in close proximity, particularly in the western panhandle and southern Florida regions. The Cape Coral area shows overlapping endangered and threatened occurrences. Southern Florida displays a complex mix of endangered, threatened, and not currently listed elements in close geographic association, suggesting high biodiversity value and conservation priority in these regions.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents only documented element occurrences from the Florida Natural Areas Inventory database, filtered to show confirmed locations rather than potential or historical occurrences. Each polygon represents a documented location where an element occurrence has been verified and recorded. The size and shape of polygons may include area added to account for location uncertainty, particularly for historical records where precise coordinates were not originally recorded. Proper interpretation requires understanding that polygon boundaries represent documented habitat areas or location confidence buffers rather than exact species territories. The map reveals conservation priorities across Florida, with dense clustering in the panhandle and southern regions indicating areas of high conservation significance. Users should refer to FNAI supporting documentation for guidance on interpreting element occurrence shapes and understanding the spatial accuracy of different occurrence records.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) database, which maintains records of endangered or rare plants and animals, high-quality natural communities, and other occurrences of natural resource interest. Data includes field observations, museum records, scientific surveys, and other documented evidence of element locations. Source layer name: FLEO_POLY_DEC24.

Definition Query:

This map displays a filtered subset of the full FNAI database showing only documented occurrences. The filtering criteria applied is: OCCURRENCE = 'DOCUMENTED', which excludes potential, historical, or unverified occurrence records and shows only confirmed, extant element locations.

Scale Information:

The map displays the entire state of Florida at a scale appropriate for statewide analysis and planning. At this zoom level, individual small occurrences may appear as points while larger habitat areas display as polygons. Finer detail about specific element boundaries and attributes would be visible at larger scales.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087), a projected coordinate system optimized for accurate area and distance measurements across Florida.

Time Period of Content:

Data current as of December 2024 (FLEO_POLY_DEC24). Element occurrence records in the FNAI database represent observations collected over time, with varying dates of documentation for individual occurrences.

Limitations:

This map represents documented occurrences in the FNAI database and does not show all locations where rare species or natural communities may exist. Absence of mapped occurrences does not indicate absence of rare elements, as many areas have not been comprehensively surveyed. Polygon boundaries include location uncertainty buffers and should not be interpreted as precise habitat boundaries. Some historical records may represent locations where elements no longer persist. Users should consult FNAI directly for current status information on specific element occurrences and for guidance on data interpretation.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the entire state of Florida from the panhandle to the Florida Keys, with portions of southern Georgia and Alabama visible for geographic context. Coverage includes all Florida counties and extends slightly offshore to include coastal and marine element occurrences.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.