Tennessee Land Cover and Species Richness

Tennessee's Land Cover and Species Richness maps were developed as part of the Gap Analysis Program. Aerial videography, satellite imagery, and other ancillary data sources were used to develop the vegetation map.

Animal distributions were predicted by mapping the historical range of each species and relating habitat preference to the vegetation map. Species richness was produced by overlaying species distributions for all amphibians, reptiles, breeding birds, and mammals. The mapping of plant communities and predicted animal species distributions will provide a prediction of biodiversity and can aid in the planning and management of natural resources and habitat management.