Alternative Text Description for Small's Milkpea (Endangered)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the geographic range boundaries for Small's Milkpea, an endangered plant species in Florida, as defined by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The map shows a single continuous habitat zone covering a large portion of the Miami metropolitan area and extending into southern mainland Florida. The shaded area represents the documented range where this endangered species occurs or has critical habitat designated.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map focuses on the greater Miami-Dade County region and surrounding areas in southeastern Florida. Major cities and communities visible within or near the habitat zone include Miami, Miami Beach, North Miami, Sunny Isles Beach, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, The Hammocks, and Homestead. The habitat area extends from the coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean and includes portions of the developed urban corridor. To the south, the range boundary approaches Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the Florida Keys Overflow Bridge Trail area. The southern terminus of the mapped area is near the Gulf of America coastline in the southwestern portion of the map.

KEY INSIGHTS

Small's Milkpea habitat encompasses a large, relatively continuous area covering much of the Miami metropolitan region. The range extends across both heavily urbanized areas and less developed regions, indicating the species' historical or current presence throughout this extensive territory. The eastern boundary generally follows the Atlantic coastline while the western and southern boundaries create an irregular shape that suggests the habitat is influenced by specific environmental or ecological conditions. A notable characteristic is the single large polygon without significant fragmentation, though several small gaps and variations in coverage density are visible within the mapped area, particularly in portions that may correspond to developed zones or unsuitable habitat.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Small's Milkpea (Endangered) Habitat Range

This layer represents the polygonal boundaries defining the geographic range of Small's Milkpea as recognized by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for Florida.

Habitat Range Boundary

Appearance:

The habitat area is depicted with a pink crosshatch pattern overlaying a gray base map. The pattern consists of fine diagonal lines creating a semi-transparent mesh texture that allows underlying geographic features to remain partially visible.

Distribution:

The habitat zone covers approximately the northern two-thirds to three-quarters of the mapped area, with concentrated coverage over the Miami metropolitan region. The range extends from the northern communities near Dania Beach southward past Homestead, and from the Atlantic coast westward into interior mainland areas.

Notable locations:

Significant population centers included within the habitat boundary are Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah, North Miami, Kendall, The Hammocks, and Homestead. The range encompasses both densely populated urban areas and transitional zones between urban and natural landscapes.

Spatial patterns:

The habitat forms a large, predominantly contiguous polygon with an irregular southern and western boundary. The eastern edge generally follows the Atlantic coastline with some variation. The pattern suggests the species' range is defined by regional ecological factors rather than isolated patches, though the presence of the habitat overlay across developed areas may indicate historical range rather than current population distribution.

Overlapping Patterns

Areas where the pink crosshatch pattern appears denser or darker may indicate overlapping polygon boundaries or areas where multiple habitat designations coincide. The southern portion of the range shows more irregular boundaries and some areas where the habitat pattern extends into or around protected natural areas.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents a species range boundary extracted from a larger dataset of endangered and threatened species in Florida. The overlay pattern is designed to show habitat extent while maintaining visibility of underlying geographic reference features. The map focuses specifically on Small's Milkpea and does not display other species ranges that may be present in the same geographic area. Users should note that the presence of habitat boundaries in urbanized areas may reflect historical range, designated critical habitat, or areas where species management and recovery efforts are focused. The scale and detail level of this map are appropriate for regional planning and species management overview purposes.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

United States Fish and Wildlife Service polygonal species boundaries for the State of Florida. The dataset is identified as CR_USFWS_POLY_JUN26 and represents federally recognized species range information compiled for conservation and management purposes.

Definition Query:

The map displays only records where the common name equals "SMALL'S MILKPEA", filtering the dataset to show this single endangered species from the broader collection of species boundaries maintained by USFWS.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a regional scale appropriate for viewing species range across multiple counties. This scale level shows the overall extent of the habitat area and its relationship to major population centers and geographic features.

Coordinate System:

NAD 1983 HARN Florida GDL Albers (WKID 3087), a coordinate system optimized for accurate area representation across Florida.

Limitations:

Species range boundaries represent the documented or designated extent of habitat and do not necessarily indicate current population density or presence at every location within the boundary. Urban development, habitat modification, and other factors may affect actual species distribution within the mapped range. The data represents a regulatory and scientific understanding of species range as defined by federal wildlife management authorities.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers southeastern Florida from approximately Dania Beach and Hollywood in the north to the northern Florida Keys area in the south, and from the Atlantic Ocean westward to include Everglades National Park boundaries and western Miami-Dade County areas.

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