Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Model last updated May 2022.
The Potential Rare Species Richness data layer represents the relative number of Virginia's threatened, endangered, and/or rare plant and animal species likely to occur across the Commonwealth, by summarizing predictions of suitable habitat within three-mile diameter hexagons. The layer is derived from the collection of current Predicted Suitable Habitat (PSH) maps; each individual PSH map indicates where suitable habitat for a particular species is expected to exist. These maps are developed and maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation - Division of Natural Heritage (DCR-DNH) to assist in protection and inventory of rare species in Virginia. The Potential Rare Species Richness layer is one of several in a suite of conservation planning and prioritization models developed by DCR-DNH and partners, known collectively as Virginia ConservationVision.
Through the Species Habitat Modeling project, DCR-DNH develops and maintains Predicted Suitable Habitat (PSH) maps for threatened, endangered, and/or rare plant and animal species. These maps are developed using information from known species locations, predictor variables representing environmental conditions, a machine-learning modeling algorithm, and input from species experts. All PSH maps use a standard 30-meter (raster grid) resolution, and are updated as new data become available and/or modeling techniques are refined.
Current PSH maps are included in multi-species summary products, which are used by DCR-DNH and its partners in environmental review and conservation planning. Summary products are updated quarterly. The Potential Rare Species Richness layer summarizes PSH across a tessellation of three-mile diameter hexagons, so as not to disclose sensitive species location information. It is the only publicly available summary layer for PSH maps. Higher-resolution summary products and individual species' PSH maps are available by subscription.
The Potential Rare Species Richness layer is available for online viewing on the Virginia Natural Heritage Data Explorer.
Click here to register and download the data (shapefile format). High-resolution maps are available in PDF and PNG format.
For more information about the Potential Rare Species Richness layer and the Species Habitat modeling project, please contact Shiva.Torabian@dcr.virginia.gov, phone: 804-225-2820.
