FINAL - Analysis of the St. Andrews Beach Mouse (Peromyscus polionotus peninsularis) population within habitat types in Gulf County, Florida

For my final project I analyzed population sizes in known locations and habitat types occupied by the St. Andrews Beach Mouse (Peromyscus polionotus peninsularis) in Gulf County, Florida. In addition, I analyzed adjacent parcels within the St. Andrews Beach Mouse's (SABM) maximum dispersal distance. A detailed explanation of my analyses with map layouts can be found here: http://bit.ly/2XZuOTQ. 

I performed GIS analyses in ArcGIS Pro on data collected from the FGDL Metadata Explorer website. I used the following tools in my analyses: Clip, Create New Feature, Calculate Geometry Attribute, Join, Multiple Ring Buffer, and Intersect. The GIS analyses of the St. Andrews Beach Mouse population in Gulf County, Florida are effective in showing the extent and types of habitat types occupied. The population sizes and dispersal patterns are also easily discernible and interpreted from the maps.  

Spatial analysis indicates SABM occupies 28 miles of shoreline along two small areas in Gulf County, Florida: on the peninsula (St. Joseph Peninsula Unit) and along the Gulf of Mexico (Palm Point Unit). Habitat analysis indicates the SABM primarily occupies coastal scrub (557 acres) and bare sandy (377 acres) habitats, which is in agreement with the literature. Based on dispersal and buffer analyses, the SABM is primarily contained in managed conservation lands (2,683 acres), with some potential intrusion onto built parcels (1,819 acres). The largest populations are found in T.H. Stone Memorial State Park (226-1,065 mice), which also contains the majority of suitable habitat. Based on these analyses, conservation efforts should focus on managing current populations, increasing primary habitat and limiting construction activities near existing locations

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