From the western panhandle coast and the Apalachicola bluffs and ravines to the central Florida dry prairies and the Florida Keys, the Sunshine State is a land rich in biodiversity. The Florida panther, the manatee, the orange blossom, and the sawgrass have become emblematic of our natural heritage, but living within the oft-ignored scrub communities are the less well-known Florida Rosemary and the Florida Scrub-Jay. The rare Bachman’s sparrow and the globally imperiled bog frog make their homes in the world’s largest remaining tracts of longleaf pine, while the barrier islands of the salt-marsh estuaries along the east coast provide safe harbor for the rare terrestrial peperomia and can offer visitors a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of a North Atlantic right while.
However, our state’s diverse flora and fauna face many challenges: habitat loss, invasive species, competing uses, drought, and climate change. Atlas of Florida’s Natural Heritage provides overviews of the natural communities, the plants, and the animals that inhabit the state, as well as information on habitat modeling, ecological greenways, protecting natural areas, and land management. With more than 600 photos and over 200 maps, this book will be useful not only to scientists and policymakers, but also to residents and visitors interested in preserving Florida’s beautiful and complex natural heritage.
