Refinement of Gopher Tortoise Habitat Identification and Related Land Cover Data. The benefits of this project include: 1) much improved gopher tortoise remote habitat identification that could have a strong influence on potential listing status (with the likelihood that significantly more habitat may be identified); 2) better statewide land cover data regarding scrubby flatwoods and potentially refined mesic flatwoods and dry prairie classifications; and 3) potential spin off benefits regarding better habitat identification for related species such as gopher frogs and other xeric adapted species that might be found in on drier flatwoods and dry prairie sites.
This raster represents a refinement on previous potential habitat models for the Gopher Tortoise through a reclassification of the Cooperative Land Cover data version 3.1 plus use of the NRCS SURRGO soils data and tree canopy data from the National Land Cover Database.
