Alternative Text Description for Sand Flax (Endangered) Species Boundary

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the endangered species boundary for Sand Flax in southern Florida as designated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The map shows a single polygon area representing the geographic extent where this endangered plant species is known to occur or has designated critical habitat. The thematic layer focuses on the Sand Flax distribution without emphasis on base map features.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The mapped area covers southern Florida, extending from Cape Coral in the northwest to West Palm Beach in the northeast, and south through the Miami metropolitan area to the Florida Keys. Major cities visible on the map include Miami, Homestead, Hollywood, Coral Springs, Boca Raton, Immokalee, Naples, Cape Coral, and Key West. The boundary area encompasses portions of southeastern mainland Florida and extends into the upper Florida Keys. The Straits of Florida are visible to the south, and Lake Okeechobee appears in the northern portion of the map extent.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Sand Flax endangered species boundary covers a concentrated area in southeastern Florida, primarily encompassing the greater Miami-Dade region and extending into the northern Florida Keys. The distribution shows a contiguous polygon that includes both coastal and inland areas of southern Miami-Dade County. A notable gap exists between the Naples/Cape Coral area and the main species boundary, indicating that Sand Flax habitat does not extend continuously across southwestern Florida. The species range includes portions of the urbanized Miami metropolitan area, suggesting the species exists within or adjacent to developed landscapes. The boundary extends across multiple island areas in the upper Keys, including the Key West vicinity, indicating the species has both mainland and island populations.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Sand Flax (Endangered) Species Boundary

This layer represents the polygonal boundary delineating the geographic extent of the endangered Sand Flax species in Florida.

Sand Flax Boundary Area (pink crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

The Sand Flax boundary is depicted using a pink or light magenta color with a diagonal crosshatch pattern overlay. The crosshatch consists of fine intersecting diagonal lines creating a mesh texture across the polygon area.

Distribution:

The primary boundary polygon covers southeastern mainland Florida, centered on the Miami-Dade County region and extending south into Homestead. An eastern extension reaches the Atlantic coast near Miami. Separate polygons appear in the Florida Keys, with notable coverage around Key West and along the island chain connecting to the mainland. A small isolated polygon appears in the southwestern portion of the map extent.

Notable locations:

Major concentrations of the species boundary include the Miami metropolitan area, the Homestead agricultural region, and scattered areas throughout the upper and middle Florida Keys. The boundary encompasses both urban and less developed areas of southern Miami-Dade County.

Spatial patterns:

The boundary shows an irregular, organic shape following natural landscape features rather than administrative boundaries. The main polygon has a roughly triangular configuration with the base extending east-west across Miami-Dade County and tapering southward toward the Keys. The distribution pattern suggests the species occupies specific habitat types that occur discontinuously across southern Florida's landscape. The extension into the Keys shows an elongated pattern following the island chain.

Overlapping Patterns

The species boundary overlaps with multiple urbanized areas, including portions of Miami, Hollywood, and Homestead, indicating that endangered Sand Flax habitat exists within or adjacent to human-modified landscapes. The boundary also encompasses both coastal and inland environments.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents a single thematic layer showing endangered species distribution rather than a comprehensive ecological map. The polygonal boundary indicates where the Sand Flax species occurs or has designated critical habitat, but does not indicate population density, habitat quality, or specific site locations within the boundary. The map scale shows regional distribution patterns, and finer-scale details about individual occurrence sites are not visible at this zoom level. Users should interpret this boundary as representing the general geographic range rather than indicating that the species occurs uniformly throughout the shaded area.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data originates from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the State of Florida, containing polygonal boundaries for species as understood by the agency. The dataset identifier is CR_USFWS_POLY_JUN26.

Definition Query:

The map displays a filtered subset of the full species dataset. The filter criteria applied is COMNAME = 'SAND FLAX', meaning only records where the common name field equals "Sand Flax" are displayed. This query isolates the single endangered species from the broader species boundary dataset.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a regional scale showing southeastern Florida, appropriate for understanding the broad geographic distribution of the species across southern Florida and the Keys. This scale is suitable for regional planning and general species range visualization rather than site-specific habitat assessment.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Limitations:

The boundaries represent generalized species ranges as understood by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and may not reflect every occurrence location or microhabitat patch within the broader polygon. The data represents administrative designations rather than field-verified presence at every point within the boundary. Areas outside the boundary do not necessarily indicate absence, as species distributions can change and survey coverage may be incomplete.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers southwestern and southeastern Florida from approximately Cape Coral and West Palm Beach in the north to Key West in the south, and from the Gulf of America coast in the west to the Atlantic coast in the east. The Straits of Florida are shown south of the Keys, providing geographic context beyond the primary species boundary.

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