Description: Either part of a large landscape-scale “hub”, or an ecological corridor connecting two or more hubs. Hubs indicate core landscapes that are large enough to maintain populations of wide-ranging or fragmentation-sensitive species including black bear or panther and areas that are more likely to support functional ecosystem services. Highest priorities indicate the most significant hubs and corridors in relation to completing a functionally connected statewide ecological network, but all priority levels have conservation value. This data layer was created by the University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation Planning to provide an ecological component to the Statewide Greenways System plan developed by the Dept. of Environmental Protection, Office of Greenways and Trails. It is intended to represent a statewide network of ecological hubs and linkages designed to maintain landscape-scale ecological functions and fragmentation sensitive biodiversity throughout the state.
Description: The aggregated CLIP Priorities on private lands includes only the top 2 highest priority levels depicting conservation significance for protecting biodiversity, landscape attributes, and high quality surface water resources at the statewide scale. The 2 priority levels are based on a rules-based selection from each of the 9 core data layers within the Biodiversity, Surface Water, and Landscape Resource Categories and overlap between the Biodiversity, Surface Water, and Landscape Resource Categories. This grid is the same as CLIPV4_PRIO with two exceptions: 1) it only has the top 2 highest priority levels; 2) only represents private lands.
Description: High priorities indicate high potential for recharge to an underlying aquifer system (typically the Floridan aquifer, but could be intermediate or surficial aquifers in some portions of the state). The highest priorities indicate high potential for recharge to springs or public water supplies. This data layer was created by FNAI in collaboration with Advanced GeoSpatial, Inc., originally to inform the Florida Forever environmental land acquisition program. AGI developed an initial Recharge Potential model following a similar model to the Florida Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment (FAVA). Data inputs included soil hydraulic conductivity, proximity to karst features, depth to water, and overburden. FNAI removed discharge areas and prioritized the model based on overlap with Springs Protection Areas and buffers to public water supply wells.
Description: Higher values indicate large expanses of remote, intact natural and semi-natural areas such as the Everglades or the Apalachicola and Ocala National Forests. Lower values indicate more fragmented landscapes with increasingly intensive land uses from agriculture to urban development. Generally, values of 1-3 are considered to have little to no ecological integrity; values of 4-7 are considered to have moderate ecological integrity; and values of 8-10 are considered to have high ecological integrity. This data layer was created by the University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation Planning specifically for CLIP. It combines two models: natural land cover patch size and land use intensity. Both are based on the FNAI/FWC Cooperative Land Cover (CLC) data layer, and major roads data from the Florida Department of Transportation (which are used to help delineate patches). Unlike most of the CLIP core data layers, the Landscape Integrity Index is a continuous scale, from intensive urban areas to remote natural areas, that covers the entire state.
Description: The location appears to be within the FEMA 100-year floodplain, and is in relatively natural condition. Highest priorities indicate highest quality natural areas within FEMA 100-year floodplain. This data layer was created by FNAI, in consultation with water resource experts, originally to inform the Florida Forever environmental land acquisition program. It identifies FEMA 100-year floodplain for most counties, or a surrogate model for 100-year floodplain (based on wetlands and soils) where FEMA data isn’t complete. It is prioritized based on land use intensity (sub-model of CLIP Landscape Integrity Index) and FNAI Potential Natural Areas.
Description: Suitable habitat for one or more rare or vulnerable vertebrate species. Richness refers to the number of species overlapping at any location. The most overlapping species in this model is 13. This data layer was created by FWC to identify additional habitat areas important for conservation, beyond those areas identified in the Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas analysis. FWC modeled potential habitat for 62 species of terrestrial (land-based) vertebrates that may not be adequately protected on existing conservation lands. Thirty-four of those species were determined to require SHCAs in order to maintain viable populations, while the remaining 28 species did not require additional SHCAs outside of conservation lands. All 62 species are included in this richness layer.
Description: The location appears to feature one of 12 priority natural community types: upland glades, pine rocklands, seepage slopes, scrub, sandhill, sandhill upland lakes, rockland hammock, coastal uplands, imperiled coastal lakes, dry prairie, upland pine, pine flatwoods, upland hardwood forest, or coastal wetlands. These natural communities are prioritized by a combination of their heritage global status rank (G-rank) and landscape context, based on the Land Use Intensity Index (subset of CLIP Landscape Integrity Index) and FNAI Potential Natural Areas. Priority 1 includes G1-G3 communities with Very High or High landscape context. Priority 2 includes G1-G3 Medium and G4 Very High/High. Priority 3 includes G4 Medium and G5 Very High/High. Priority 5 is G5 Medium. This data layer was created by FNAI originally to inform the Florida Forever environmental land acquisition program. The natural communities were mapped primarily based on the FNAI/FWC Cooperative Land Cover (CLC) data layer, which is a compilation of best-available land cover data for the entire state. The CLC is based on both remote-sensed (from aerial photography, primarily from water management district FLUCCS data) and ground-truthed (from field surveys on many conservation lands) data.
Description: Suitable habitat for one or more rare or vulnerable species that are known to occur in the vicinity. Highest priorities could indicate a single species with very high conservation need, or multiple species with high conservation need. All priorities reflect rare species with conservation need. This data layer was created by FNAI originally to inform the Florida Forever environmental land acquisition program, and was prioritized based partly on the amount of species’ habitat currently protected on conservation lands. The CLIP version has been re-prioritized to reflect more general conservation needs for rare species. FNAI modeled suitable habitat around documented locations for 281 species of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates, including aquatic species.
Description: The location contributes water runoff to a surface water feature that has statewide significance, including: aquatic preserves, shellfish harvesting areas, seagrass beds, springs, public water supply sources, watersheds important for rare fish species, Outstanding Florida Waters, National Wild & Scenic Rivers, and National Estuaries. Highest priorities are immediately adjacent to significant surface waters, while lower priorities include all watersheds that contribute to significant surface waters. This data layer was created by FNAI, in consultation with water resource experts, originally to inform the Florida Forever environmental land acquisition program. It identifies buffers to important surface water bodies as well as watersheds that contribute to those water bodies. It is prioritized based on how close the location is to the water body and how much of the water body is affected downstream of the location.
Name: Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas (CLIP v4)
Display Field: VALUE
Type: Raster Layer
Geometry Type: null
Description: Suitable habitat for one or more rare or vulnerable vertebrate species. Those species likely require this area in order to maintain viable populations in Florida for the foreseeable future. Highest priorities indicate the rarest or most vulnerable species, but all priority levels have conservation value. This data layer was created by FWC to identify gaps in the existing statewide system of wildlife conservation areas, and to inform ongoing land acquisition and conservation efforts. FWC modeled areas of habitat that are essential to sustain viable populations for 34 species of terrestrial (land-based) vertebrates that are not adequately protected on existing conservation lands. The CLIP version also identifies habitat on conservation lands for all 62 species analyzed for the project.
Description: The location appears to be a wetland land cover type. Highest priorities indicate wetlands within large intact natural landscapes (although the wetlands themselves may be small or large). Lowest priorities indicate wetlands within fragmented landscapes surrounded by intensive agriculture or urban development; these may still have conservation value. This data layer was created by FNAI, in consultation with water resource experts, originally to inform the Florida Forever environmental land acquisition program. Wetlands were mapped based on the FNAI/FWC Cooperative Land Cover (CLC) data layer, which is a compilation of best-available land cover data for the entire state. The CLC is based on both remote-sensed (from aerial photography, primarily from water management district FLUCCS data) and ground-truthed (from field surveys on many conservation lands) data. Wetlands are prioritized by overlap with FNAI Potential Natural Areas and the UF Land Use Intensity Index (a component of the Landscape Integrity Index).
Description: The aggregated CLIP 4.0 Resource Priorities include five priority levels depicting conservation significance for protecting biodiversity, landscape attributes, and high quality surface water resources at the statewide scale. It is a combination of the Biodiversity, Landscapes, and Surface Water Resource Priorities models based on the following criteria: Priority 1: Priority 1 for any of the three Resource Categories, or Priority 2 for ALL three Resource Categories. Priority 2: Priority 2 for any of the three Resource Categories, or Priority 3 for ALL three Resource Categories. Priority 3: Priority 3 for any of the three Resource Categories. Priority 4: Priority 4 for any of the three Resource Categories. Priority 5: Priority 5 for any of the three Resource Categories. Unlike the Resource Priorities models, the Aggregated CLIP model does take into account overlap across resource types to promote some areas to Priorities 1 and 2. Wherever a location meets criteria for more than one priority class, the highest priority is assigned. Although all priority levels have significance, based on expert consensus the most important priorities are CLIP Priorities 1 and 2. CLIP Priority 3 can be considered moderate priority at the statewide scale. CLIP Priority 4 includes areas that still have resource significance but are the lower ranked areas for many of the CLIP core data layers. CLIP Priority 5 primarily includes broader watersheds with relevance from a cumulative impact perspective for protecting important watersheds identified in the Significant Surface Waters core data layer.
Description: This model is a combination of the three core data layers in the Surface Water Resource Category: Significant Surface Waters, Natural Floodplain, and Wetlands. They are combined in this model according to these criteria: Priority 1: Surface Water Priority 1, Floodplain Priority 1, Wetlands Priority 1. Priority 2: Surface Water Priority 2, Floodplain Priority 2, Wetlands Priority 2. Priority 3: Surface Water Priority 3, Floodplain Priority 3, Wetlands Priority 3. Priority 4: Surface Water Priorities 4-5, Floodplain Priority 4, Wetlands Priority 4. Priority 5: Surface Water Priorities 6-7, Floodplain Wetlands Priorities 5-6. A location needs to match criteria for only one core data layer to meet that priority class criteria (the criteria don’t require overlap of core data layers). Wherever a location meets criteria for more than one priority class, the highest priority is assigned.
Description: This model is a combination of the two core data layers in the Landscapes Resource Category: Florida Ecological Greenways Network, and Landscape Integrity Index. They are combined in this model according to these criteria: Priority 1: Greenways Critical Linkages (P1). Priority 2: Landscape Integrity value 10. Priority 3: Greenways Priorities 2-3, Landscape Integrity value 9. Priority 4: Greenways Priorities 4-5, Landscape Integrity values 7-8. Priority 5: Landscape Integrity value 6. A location needs to match criteria for only one core data layer to meet that priority class criteria (the criteria don’t require overlap of core data layers). Wherever a location meets criteria for more than one priority class, the highest priority is assigned.
Description: This is the CLIP Version 4.0 Biodiversity Resource Priorities model. This model is a combination of the four core data layers in the Biodiversity Resource Category: Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas (SHCA), Vertebrate Potential Habitat Richness (VertRich), Rare Species Habitat Conservation Priorities (FNAIHAB), and Priority Natural Communities (Natcom). They are combined in this model according to these criteria: Priority 1: SHCA Priority 1, VertRich 8-13 overlapping species, FNAIHAB Priority 1-2, Natcom Priority 1. Priority 2: SHCA Priority 2, VertRich 7 species, FNAIHAB Priority 3, Natcom Priority 2. Priority 3: SHCA Priority 3-4, VertRich 5-6 species, FNAIHAB Priority 4, Natcom Priority 3. Priority 4: SHCA Priority 5, VertRich 2-4 species, FNAIHAB Priority 5-6, Natcom Priority 4. Priority 5: VertRich 1 species. A location needs to match criteria for only one core data layer to meet that priority class criteria (the criteria don’t require overlap of core data layers). Wherever a location meets criteria for more than one priority class, the highest priority is assigned.