This project utilizes projected visualization of land cover conditions for the state of Florida at three future time periods. Simulated projected future conditions also vary by patterns in development, levels and types of conservation, and sea level rise. These visualized scenarios afford the opportunity to examine a range of possible outcomes for land use and land cover, and use these scenarios to evaluate the impacts on potential habitat distributions for focal species. For this project, focal species were centered within the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and impacts. The methodology for this project includes four major steps, which have been found to be effective in previous scenario analyses with state LCC partners. The first is a thorough update of climate and urbanization models used in the scenarios. The second is the presentation of a workshop based stakeholder contribution opportunity to determine a subset of focal species believed to be most at risk in this area of the state. The third is a spatiotemporal impact assessment based on spatial buffering and overlay of scenario-predicted land use or land cover changes due to urbanization and climate change. The fourth is a review of potential habitat impacts as modeled through the alternative scenarios, and the contrast of impacts to each species based on the different scenario assessment outcomes.
