Alternative Text Description for Pineland Sandmat (Threatened)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the habitat range of Pineland Sandmat, a threatened plant species, in South Florida. The map shows polygonal boundaries representing areas where this species is understood to occur according to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The pink crosshatched pattern indicates the extent of Pineland Sandmat habitat across the greater Miami metropolitan region and surrounding areas.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers South Florida, centered on the Miami metropolitan area and extending from the Atlantic coast westward across the Everglades. Major communities visible include Miami, Miami Beach, North Miami, Sunny Isles Beach, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Dania Beach, Hialeah, Kendall, The Hammocks, and Homestead. The eastern boundary follows the Atlantic coastline, while the western portion extends into the Everglades ecosystem. Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Flamingo Visitor Center are visible in the southern sections. Everglades National Park appears in the western and southern portions of the map coverage area.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Pineland Sandmat habitat extends across a vast area of South Florida, covering most of the mapped region with near-continuous distribution. The species range encompasses both heavily urbanized areas in the eastern coastal corridor and natural areas in the western Everglades. Notable gaps in the habitat pattern appear around Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge in the south-central area and in portions of the southern coastal regions. The distribution demonstrates that this threatened species historically or currently occupies extensive areas across diverse land use types, from developed urban zones to protected natural areas, suggesting the habitat boundaries reflect the species' historical or potential range rather than current population distribution alone.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Pineland Sandmat Habitat Range

This layer represents the geographic extent of Pineland Sandmat (Threatened) habitat as documented by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for Florida.

Pineland Sandmat (Threatened) Habitat Areas

Appearance:

Pink crosshatch pattern consisting of diagonal lines creating a mesh or grid texture over a light pink background fill.

Distribution:

The habitat pattern covers the majority of the mapped area, extending from the northern boundaries near Dania Beach and Hollywood southward through Miami, Homestead, and into the southern portions of the map. The pattern spans from the Atlantic coastline westward across inland areas and into the Everglades region.

Notable locations:

Extensive coverage across the Miami metropolitan area including Hialeah, Kendall, and The Hammocks. Large continuous areas appear in the western sections encompassing Everglades terrain. Northern sections include Pembroke Pines, Sunny Isles Beach, and Hollywood areas. Southern distribution extends through Homestead and surrounding regions.

Spatial patterns:

The habitat shows a generally continuous distribution with few major interruptions across the mapped extent. The pattern suggests regional-scale habitat boundaries rather than isolated patches. Notable exclusion areas appear around protected zones and water bodies. The eastern coastal areas show more irregular boundaries, while western sections display broader, more uniform coverage.

Overlapping Patterns

No overlapping feature categories are present in this single-layer thematic map.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents the official species range boundaries maintained by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service rather than individual plant occurrence points. The habitat polygons indicate areas where environmental conditions and historical documentation suggest Pineland Sandmat may occur or has occurred, which may include both occupied and suitable unoccupied habitat. The definition query filters the source dataset to display only Pineland Sandmat records where the common name matches "PINELAND SANDMAT" from the broader USFWS species dataset. Base map features such as roads, city names, and protected areas are shown for geographic orientation but are not part of the thematic layer being described.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

United States Fish and Wildlife Service species boundary dataset for the State of Florida (CR_USFWS_POLY_JUN26). The dataset contains polygonal boundaries for species as understood and documented by USFWS for conservation and management purposes.

Definition Query:

The map displays a filtered subset of the source data where COMNAME equals "PINELAND SANDMAT", showing only the habitat boundaries for this specific threatened species rather than the full multi-species dataset.

Scale Information:

The map shows a regional-scale view appropriate for understanding the overall distribution and extent of Pineland Sandmat habitat across South Florida. This scale is suitable for conservation planning and regional habitat assessment rather than site-specific analysis.

Coordinate System:

NAD 1983 HARN Florida GDL Albers (WKID 3087), a projected coordinate system optimized for accurate area measurement and display of Florida geographic data.

Limitations:

The polygonal boundaries represent generalized habitat extent based on USFWS species understanding and may not reflect current on-the-ground population distribution or habitat condition. The boundaries do not indicate population density, health, or precise locations of individual plants. Areas within the mapped polygons may include both occupied and unoccupied suitable habitat, as well as areas where habitat has been modified or lost.

Map Coverage:

The map covers South Florida from approximately the Hollywood and Dania Beach area in the north, southward through the Miami metropolitan region and Homestead, extending westward from the Atlantic coast across the Everglades ecosystem to the western extent of the species range in Florida.

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