Alternative Text Description for Sand Flax (Endangered)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the geographic distribution of Sand Flax, an endangered plant species, across the southeastern United States with primary focus on Florida. The map shows polygonal boundaries representing the known habitat or occurrence areas of Sand Flax as documented by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The visualization emphasizes the limited and fragmented nature of this endangered species' range.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the southeastern United States, extending from Georgia and South Carolina in the north to the southern tip of Florida. Major cities labeled include Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Cape Coral, West Palm Beach, Fort St. Lucie, Palm Bay, Coral Springs, and Freeport. In Georgia and South Carolina, cities shown include Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, Savannah, Athens, Augusta, Macon, Warner Robins, Albany, and Valdosta. The Atlantic Ocean appears along the eastern edge, and the Gulf of America (western Florida coast) is visible on the western side. The map provides geographic context across multiple states to show the full extent of Sand Flax habitat.

KEY INSIGHTS

Sand Flax habitat is extremely limited and fragmented, appearing in only a few isolated locations within the mapped area. The most prominent concentration occurs in south-central Florida, with a large polygonal area visible in the interior region of the state. A smaller occurrence area appears along Florida's southwestern coastal region near Cape Coral. Additional very small habitat patches are visible in the southeastern coastal area near Coral Springs and along portions of the Atlantic coast. The distribution pattern reveals that Sand Flax occupies only tiny, disconnected fragments of its potential range, consistent with its endangered status. No occurrences are visible in Georgia or South Carolina portions of the map.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Sand Flax (Endangered)

This layer represents the documented geographic boundaries where Sand Flax, an endangered plant species, is known to occur in Florida.

Sand Flax Habitat Areas (light pink polygons with diagonal line pattern)

Appearance:

Light pink or rose-colored polygons filled with a diagonal crosshatch or line pattern, creating a textured appearance that distinguishes these areas from the plain gray background.

Distribution:

Habitat areas appear exclusively within Florida, with no occurrences in Georgia or South Carolina. The distribution is highly fragmented with only a few isolated patches across the state.

Notable locations:

The largest and most significant habitat area is located in south-central Florida, roughly in the interior region between Orlando and Lake Okeechobee. A secondary concentration appears along the southwestern Gulf coast in the Cape Coral vicinity. Very small patches are visible in southeastern coastal Florida near Coral Springs and in scattered locations along the Atlantic coast.

Spatial patterns:

The habitat shows extreme fragmentation with no connectivity between occurrence areas. The largest patch is an irregularly shaped polygon in the interior of the peninsula. Smaller habitat areas are isolated and separated by significant distances. The pattern suggests habitat loss and fragmentation, with remaining populations restricted to small, disconnected refugia. There is no linear arrangement; instead, patches appear scattered based on suitable habitat conditions.

Overlapping Patterns

No overlapping patterns are evident in this single-layer thematic map. The Sand Flax habitat areas are displayed as discrete polygons without interaction with other thematic data layers.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents a single thematic layer extracted from a larger dataset and focuses exclusively on the distribution of Sand Flax, an endangered species. Base map features such as cities and geographic boundaries are provided for spatial reference but are not the primary focus. The map illustrates the conservation status of this species by showing the limited and fragmented nature of its remaining habitat. Users should interpret the polygonal boundaries as approximate representations of species occurrence areas rather than precise habitat boundaries. The map is filtered to show only Sand Flax from a broader species dataset maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data originates from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and represents the polygonal boundaries for species as understood by the agency for the State of Florida. The source layer is CR_USFWS_POLY_JUL25.

Definition Query:

The map displays a filtered subset of the full dataset, showing only records where the common name equals 'SAND FLAX'. This query isolates this single endangered species from the complete species database.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a regional scale covering multiple states, appropriate for understanding the overall geographic range and distribution pattern of Sand Flax. This scale is suitable for conservation planning and regional habitat assessment but may not show fine-scale habitat details.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The dataset name indicates data from July 2025 (JUL25), though this likely represents a dataset version identifier rather than the temporal extent of species observations.

Limitations:

The polygonal boundaries represent documented species occurrence areas and may not capture all existing Sand Flax populations. Habitat suitability and actual species presence may vary within the mapped polygons. The data is specific to Florida and does not include potential occurrences in adjacent states if they exist outside USFWS Florida jurisdiction. Small or recently discovered populations may not be reflected if the data has not been updated since July 2025.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers the southeastern United States from northern Georgia to southern Florida and from the Gulf of America coast to the Atlantic Ocean. While the geographic coverage includes multiple states for spatial context, the thematic data (Sand Flax habitat) is limited to Florida only.

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