Reference Natural Communities - Using the Interactive Map

The reference natural community interactive map comprises the following primary components:

• Geospatial data – GPS-collected location information delineating the reference site and centroid of each sampling station.
• Narrative descriptions – a qualitative written characterization of each reference site that lists dominant species and incorporates sampling information in a straightforward format.
• Photograph(s) – a high resolution photographic image that quickly conveys the general condition of the natural community.
• Sampling data – quantitative data collected from 30 random sampling stations at each reference site describing the vegetative composition and structure. Sampling data are presented both on a station-by-station basis and summarized for the entire site, plus FNAI provides region-specific recommendations for each natural community. Sampling methodology is described here.
• Four-page summary – a downloadable, printer-friendly overview of each reference site that includes a narrative description, photograph, location map, statistical summary, and aerial photo depicting the reference site in context of the surrounding landscape (pdf files 350-800 KB each).
• Interactive map – scalable statewide map depicting the exact location of reference natural communities and sampling stations. Map and reference natural community tabular data are linked; sites can be selected using either. Baseline map information also includes FNAI Managed Areas boundaries.

Navigating the map, and map basics.

Navigate the interactive map using the and buttons.

Zoom In - allows you to “magnify” the perspective of your view, increasing the scale. You can simply click to zoom a fixed amount centered on the location you click, or click and drag to define the area you wish to magnify.

Zoom Out - allows you to move your perspective back, decreasing the scale and shrinking the map.

Pan - allows you to “push or pull” the map view at the same scale any direction.

Full-Extent quickly adjusts the scale of the map so that the full extent of Florida is visible (1:4,900,000).


• The base map includes county boundaries, major roads, large lakes and rivers. Two additional map layers can be turned on or off: FNAI Managed Areas and imagery (aerial photography). Click Layers on the upper left side of the map to access the additional layers; click the appropriate layer name to turn it on or off. It is recommended to turn the imagery on only at a scale of 1: 50,000 or less.
• The map legend can be turned on by clicking Legend on the upper right side of the map and can be closed by clicking the minimize button (_).

Selecting a reference site and working with the tabular data.

• The opening screen of the interactive map displays a state map showing the location of each reference natural community and a table naming each reference site and the relevant natural community type. The table can be sorted by natural community type or site name.
• Select a specific site by clicking either the icon on the map or the relevant row in the table. The map automatically zooms to the site showing the site boundaries and the sampling stations.
• Selecting a site allows you to access the Description, Photos, Sample Station Data, and Statistical Summary tabs at the top of the table. Click any tab to access the information for that category.
• When you open the Sample Station Data tab, you will be able to sort the table by key measures (indicated by boldface) by clicking on the header of the appropriate column. Note the table is longer and wider than the view; you must scroll to see the entire table.
• When the Sample Station Data tab is open, note that the tabular information and the map are linked. Highlighting a row by clicking it will highlight the appropriate sample station icon, and vice versa.
• You can “lock” any sample station to make it easier to find again while viewing other sample stations from the same site by clicking the relevant box on the left side of the table. The corresponding sampling station on the map changes from a red triangle to a lock icon.
• To facilitate working with multiple reference sites during one session, you can use the open in new window option to keep the work open in a separate window on your computer. The “open in new window” option is available for Description, Photos, Sample Station Data, and Statistical Summary content. Multiple windows can be left opened at once.

Accessing documentation and definitions.

• View a description of the Reference Natural Community sampling methodology here.
• View technical definitions of the sampling measures. Open the Sample Station Data tab and click Measure definitions at the top of the table to see definitions of each sampling measure (e.g., average maximum shrub height), or simply click the link here.

Download data and documents.

• Download sampling data. Open the List tab. Click on the Download Data link at the top of the table to download an Excel spreadsheet with sampling data for all reference natural communities.
• Download pdf summary documents. Open the List tab. Find the reference site for which you want to download a summary and click the Adobe Acrobat pdf icon located between Community Type and Site.

Return to the Reference Natural Communities page

Go to the interactive map