Alternative Text Description for Florida Semaphore Cactus (Endangered)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the habitat range of the Florida Semaphore Cactus, an endangered species tracked by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The map shows polygonal boundaries representing the geographic distribution of this species across southern Florida. The visualization focuses on the specific areas where this endangered cactus species is known to occur, providing critical information for conservation and management purposes.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers southern Florida, extending from Cape Coral and Port Charlotte in the north to Key West in the south. Major cities visible on the map include Miami, Hollywood, Homestead, Coral Springs, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Immokalee, Naples, and Cape Coral. The mapped area encompasses the southern tip of the Florida peninsula and the Florida Keys island chain. The Straits of Florida are visible to the south, and Lake Okeechobee appears in the northern portion of the map extent.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Florida Semaphore Cactus habitat shows a concentrated distribution in two primary areas: the greater Miami metropolitan region and the Florida Keys. The largest continuous habitat area extends across southeastern Florida, encompassing the areas around Miami, Homestead, and Hollywood. A separate habitat zone runs through the middle and lower Florida Keys, including the area around Key West. The species distribution is notably absent from the southwestern coastal areas near Naples and Cape Coral, indicating that suitable habitat conditions are specific to the southeastern portion of the state and the Keys archipelago.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Florida Semaphore Cactus (Endangered) Habitat

This layer represents the known habitat boundaries for the Florida Semaphore Cactus as defined by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Endangered Species Habitat Range (pink crosshatched polygon)

Appearance:

Pink polygons with a fine crosshatch pattern overlay the base map.

Distribution:

The habitat areas appear in two distinct geographic clusters: one large area in southeastern Florida centered around the Miami metropolitan region, and a second area extending through the Florida Keys.

Notable locations:

The largest contiguous habitat zone spans from approximately Hollywood south through Miami to Homestead and extends westward. In the Florida Keys, habitat areas appear around Key West and extend along the middle Keys. A small isolated habitat patch appears as a separate polygon west of the main Keys area.

Spatial patterns:

The habitat distribution shows a clear southeastern concentration, with the primary habitat forming a broad, irregularly shaped polygon that covers substantial portions of Miami-Dade County. The Keys habitat forms an elongated, discontinuous pattern that follows the island chain. The spatial arrangement suggests the species requires specific environmental conditions found only in these coastal and island environments.

Overlapping Patterns

The habitat boundaries do not overlap with other thematic features in this single-layer map, though the distribution pattern shows a clear relationship to the coastal geography of southern Florida.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents species habitat boundaries as understood by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service specifically for Florida. The polygonal boundaries delineate areas where the Florida Semaphore Cactus is known to exist or has suitable habitat conditions. The map focuses exclusively on this single endangered species and does not show other species distributions or habitat types. Base map features such as city names and geographic labels are provided for spatial reference but are not part of the thematic data layer.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data comes from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and represents polygonal boundaries for species within the State of Florida. The dataset identifier is CR_USFWS_POLY_JUN26.

Definition Query:

The map displays a filtered subset of the species database where the common name equals "FLORIDA SEMAPHORE CACTUS" (COMNAME = 'FLORIDA SEMAPHORE CACTUS'). This query isolates only the habitat boundaries for this specific endangered species from the larger USFWS species dataset.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a regional scale appropriate for viewing the entire range of the species across southern Florida. This scale level shows the general distribution pattern while capturing the full geographic extent from the mainland to the Keys.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Limitations:

The habitat boundaries represent the species range as understood by USFWS and may not reflect every individual occurrence or microhabitat variation. The polygonal representation provides generalized boundaries rather than precise point locations of individual plants.

Map Coverage:

The map extends from approximately Port Charlotte and Lake Okeechobee in the north to Key West and the Straits of Florida in the south, and from the southwestern Gulf coast near Naples eastward to West Palm Beach and the Atlantic coast. Areas shown beyond the highlighted habitat polygons provide geographic context for understanding the species' limited distribution.

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