Alternative Text Description for Southern Kidneyshell (Endangered)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map shows the geographic range of the Southern Kidneyshell, an endangered freshwater mussel species, in the Florida Panhandle region. The map displays polygonal boundaries representing areas where this species is understood to occur according to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Two distinct geographic areas are shown with pink crosshatched shading, indicating the species' known habitat distribution along inland waterways.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the northwestern Florida Panhandle and adjacent coastal areas along the Gulf of America. The northern portion of the map includes the communities of Bankhead Lake, Troy, Monroeville, Andalusia, Enterprise, and Dothan. The central area shows Crestview, with Ferry Pass, Brent, and Pensacola to the west. The southern portion displays the coastal zone including Panama City and Lynn Haven along the Gulf of America shoreline. County boundaries and waterways are visible as light gray lines across the region, providing geographic reference points for the species habitat areas.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Southern Kidneyshell has a limited and fragmented distribution in the Florida Panhandle region. Two separate habitat areas are visible, suggesting the species occupies distinct watershed systems. The western habitat area is smaller and located inland north of the Pensacola area, while the eastern habitat area is substantially larger and positioned inland north and east of Panama City. The separation between these two areas indicates the species does not occur continuously across the region but is restricted to specific river or stream systems. Both habitat polygons are positioned in the inland portions of the Panhandle, well north of the Gulf of America coastline, consistent with the species' freshwater habitat requirements.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Southern Kidneyshell (Endangered) Habitat

This layer represents the geographic boundaries where the Southern Kidneyshell, an endangered freshwater mussel species, is known to occur.

Western Habitat Area

Appearance: Pink crosshatched polygon pattern with diagonal lines creating a mesh texture

Distribution: Located in the western portion of the mapped area, inland and north of Pensacola, positioned between Brent/Ferry Pass to the south and extending northward

Notable locations: This smaller habitat polygon occupies an inland area in the northwestern section of the Florida Panhandle

Spatial patterns: The western area forms a compact, irregularly-shaped polygon suggesting occupation of a specific watershed or tributary system

Eastern Habitat Area

Appearance: Pink crosshatched polygon pattern with diagonal lines creating a mesh texture, matching the western area symbology

Distribution: Located in the eastern portion of the mapped area, positioned inland and generally north and northeast of Panama City, extending eastward toward the central Panhandle

Notable locations: This larger habitat polygon occupies a substantial inland area south and southeast of Crestview, representing the more extensive of the two habitat zones

Spatial patterns: The eastern area forms a large, irregularly-shaped polygon with complex boundaries, suggesting occupation of a major river system or multiple connected waterways. The irregular boundaries likely follow stream and river courses through the inland Panhandle landscape

Overlapping Patterns

No overlapping patterns are present; the two habitat areas are geographically separated with no connection visible on the map.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map focuses exclusively on the thematic layer showing endangered species habitat boundaries. The Southern Kidneyshell is a freshwater mussel species, and the habitat areas shown represent aquatic environments within specific watershed systems in the Florida Panhandle. The fragmented distribution pattern shown on this map reflects the species' limited range and endangered status. Base map features such as roads, detailed waterways, and other infrastructure are minimally visible to emphasize the species habitat boundaries. The map is filtered to show only the Southern Kidneyshell from a larger dataset containing multiple species.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source: United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) species boundary data for the State of Florida. The dataset contains polygonal boundaries for species as understood by USFWS.

Definition Query: The map displays a filtered subset of a larger species dataset. The filter criteria applied is COMNAME = 'SOUTHERN KIDNEYSHELL', showing only this single endangered species from the broader USFWS species database (CR_USFWS_POLY_JUN26).

Scale Information: The map shows a regional-scale view appropriate for understanding the overall geographic distribution of the species across multiple counties in the Florida Panhandle. This scale is suitable for conservation planning and understanding the species' range but does not show fine-scale habitat details within the boundary polygons.

Coordinate System: NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Limitations: The polygonal boundaries represent areas where the species is understood to occur but may not indicate continuous presence throughout the entire polygon area. Actual mussel populations may be restricted to specific stream reaches, river segments, or suitable habitat patches within these broader boundary areas. The data represents species range as understood by USFWS and may not reflect recent survey data or population changes.

Map Coverage: The map extent covers the northwestern Florida Panhandle from the Alabama border area in the north to the Gulf of America coastline in the south, and from the Pensacola area in the west to areas east of Panama City. Portions of neighboring communities and geographic features outside Florida are shown for geographic context.

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