Explanation of Indicator
As development pressures increase in Florida’s coastal counties,
habitat areas are rapidly disappearing or being degraded. These
dwindling coastal habitat areas are important to many rare species
including sea turtles, shorebirds, plovers, various taxa of beach
mice, and migratory birds. Protecting strategic habitat areas by
designating them as conservation lands is one way to preserve some
components of coastal Florida’s wildlife, threatened plant species,
and rare plant communities.
Florida is widely recognized as one of North America’s most important reservoirs of biological diversity. The existence of so many endemic species in Florida makes conservation and management activities of great importance to global biodiversity protection efforts. Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas (SHCAs) delineate habitat areas in Florida that should be conserved if key components of the state’s biological diversity are to be maintained. By means of a computerized Geographic Information System (GIS), distribution maps are created depicting selected species of wildlife, threatened species of plants, and rare plant communities. Lands that are recommended for additional protection are referred to as SHCAs.
Conservation of coastal habitat areas will require new initiatives along several broad fronts as well as renewed efforts in the implementation of traditional land acquisition and management strategies.
This indicator delineates the amount of important habitat in coastal counties that has been converted to a permanent conservation status. In addition, it shows the amount of land in the Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas that has been degraded by private activities and is no longer desirable or available as a permanent conservation area.
Data Characteristics
SOURCE
This information is from the report, Closing the Gaps in Florida’s
Wildlife Habitat Conservation System. A copy can be obtained by
contacting Randy Kautz at the Office of Environmental Services,
Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 620 South Meridian
Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600, or at (904) 488-6661.
ACQUISITION
The data can be obtained in hard copy format at no cost. The maps
presented in the report are available in a variety of scales and in
digital formats for use in computer mapping packages.
COLLECTION
These data are collected annually statewide. The first year of
collection was 1994. Future updates of the Closing the Gaps report
are anticipated at three to five year intervals.
Data Limitations
This indicator can be used to determine where we are succeeding and
where we are failing in protecting the state’s remaining biodiversity.
This is the first year that these data are available, so this indicator
should be used as a benchmark until further data become available.
Data Analysis
Florida’s system of publicly owned conservation lands covers 4.54
million acres in coastal counties. These lands represent a foundation
for the protection of ecologically sensitive and important communities
and species. An additional 2.35 million acres in coastal counties are
proposed Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas.
As more data become available in the future, this indicator will report the amount of important habitat in coastal counties that has been converted to a permanent conservation status. In addition, the indicator will report the amount of land in the Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas that has been degraded by private activities and is no longer desirable or available as a permanent conservation area.