Alternative Text Description for Wedge Spurge (Endangered) Distribution Map

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the distribution of Wedge Spurge, an endangered plant species, across the southeastern United States. The map shows polygonal boundaries representing known or designated habitat areas for this species as documented by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The visualization focuses on the coastal regions of Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida, with only Wedge Spurge endangered species habitat shown as thematic data.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers portions of the southeastern United States, extending from southern Georgia through Florida's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Major cities labeled include Atlanta, Athens, Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, and Wilmington in the north; Augusta, Macon, Warner Robins, Savannah, and Jacksonville along Georgia's interior and coast; and Florida cities including Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Palm Bay, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Coral Springs, Freeport, and Abaco. The map encompasses Florida's entire peninsula and shows portions of the Gulf of America along Florida's western coast and the Atlantic Ocean along the eastern seaboard.

KEY INSIGHTS

The distribution of Wedge Spurge habitat is extremely limited and geographically concentrated. The species occurs only in a small area of south-central Florida, appearing in the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee. This highly restricted range demonstrates the endangered status of the species, with no habitat shown anywhere else across the extensive geographic area displayed. The isolation of this single habitat area from any coastal regions, despite the map's coverage of extensive Atlantic and Gulf coastlines, emphasizes the species' specialized habitat requirements and vulnerability.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Wedge Spurge (Endangered) Habitat

This layer represents the polygonal boundaries of areas designated as habitat for the endangered Wedge Spurge plant species within Florida.

Wedge Spurge Habitat Areas (diagonal line pattern fill)

Appearance:

The habitat areas are represented by polygons filled with a diagonal line pattern in pink or rose color against a lighter background.

Distribution:

The habitat appears only in south-central Florida, in the interior region between the state's east and west coasts, in the general vicinity of Lake Okeechobee.

Notable locations:

The habitat area is located in inland south-central Florida, positioned roughly between the Tampa/St. Petersburg area to the west and the West Palm Beach/Port St. Lucie area to the east.

Spatial patterns:

The distribution shows a single, isolated habitat area with no additional occurrences elsewhere in the mapped region. The habitat does not extend to coastal areas and appears confined to Florida's interior peninsula. No spatial clustering or corridor patterns are evident due to the singular, localized nature of the species' range.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map displays only the Wedge Spurge endangered species habitat layer and does not show other species or habitat types. The extremely limited geographic range visible on this map reflects the endangered conservation status of Wedge Spurge. The species is restricted to Florida based on this dataset, with no occurrences shown in Georgia, South Carolina, or other southeastern states despite the map's broad geographic coverage. Base map features such as state boundaries, coastlines, and city labels are provided for geographic reference but are not part of the thematic layer.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data comes from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and represents species boundaries as understood by the agency for the State of Florida. The dataset contains polygonal boundaries for species occurrences or designated habitat areas.

Data source layer name: CR_USFWS_POLY_JUL25

Definition Query:

The map displays a filtered subset of the complete dataset, showing only records where the common name equals 'WEDGE SPURGE'. This filter isolates the habitat boundaries for this single endangered plant species from a larger dataset that likely contains multiple species.

Scale Information:

The map displays a regional scale covering multiple states across the southeastern United States, appropriate for showing the overall distribution pattern and geographic range of the species. This broad scale allows viewers to understand the limited and isolated nature of Wedge Spurge habitat within the larger southeastern region.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The dataset is dated July 2025 based on the data source layer name. This represents the most current understanding of Wedge Spurge habitat boundaries as of that date.

Limitations:

The dataset is specific to Florida and maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Habitat boundaries represent designated or documented areas and may not capture all locations where individual plants occur. The precision and methodology used to delineate habitat polygons is not specified in the provided information. The dataset may not reflect very recent changes in species distribution or habitat conditions.

Map Coverage:

The map extends from northern Georgia and South Carolina southward through the entire Florida peninsula, including portions of the Bahamas (Freeport, Abaco) in the southeast. The western extent includes portions of Alabama and the Gulf of America coast, while the eastern extent covers the Atlantic coastal regions of Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. The map provides regional context well beyond Florida's boundaries to show the geographic isolation of the species' habitat.

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