Interactive Habitat Map
Welcome! The interactive habitat map provides information about the locations of parks and public lands in Seattle (over 8,000 acres!), the habitat types found on those lands and plants growing in each habitat. It also shows locations and boundaries of restoration sites in Seattle parks, which are part of the Green Seattle Partnership. It is the only map of its kind in the United States.
How to use the map
Glossary
History of the Map
Where does the data come from?
What did the 1999-2000 survey of Seattle urban forests uncover?
Why is this data important?
Next steps - The Citywide Habitat Assessment (CHA)
We are grateful for the support of ESRI in creating this map.
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The Interactive Habitat Map is generously sponsored by Esurance. Thank you!
- Click on the thumbnail above to open the map.
- Use the arrows and zoom as you would on a Google map.
- Enter a street address or choose a park to zoom to a park.
- Click the moving green arrows on the left side to access a wealth of information about sites where habitat is being restored, habitat types, and plants.
- Habitat Type – Type of landcover present on a particular site. This can include natural habitats such are forests, meadows, wetlands, streams, etc, or developed areas such as impervious surfaces or ballfields. More than 30 different habitat types are present on Seattle public lands.
- Invasive/Native Plants – invasive plants are introduced species from other parts of the world that crowd out most other plants creating monocultures; native plants are endemic to the region and tend to support biodiversity
- Monitoring – people evaluating progress a question of interest, such as restoration on a site or the health of forests over time.
- Vegetation Plot – An area of defined size where scientific measurements of trees, shrubs and other plants are collected. If this area is permanently marked, it can be monitored over time.
- Polygon – defined area on the map (as opposed to a marker, which designates a point)
- Restoration Site – area of land where people are improving habitat
Where does the data come from?
The Seattle Public Lands Habitat Survey (2000) was the first of its type and unique in that it spanned administrative boundaries. The purpose was to provide city managers and citizens with information about the city's natural resources.
Open space was delineated into one of 33 habitat types described in the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation's publication "Urban Wildlife and Habitat Management Plan" (Miller 1994). A dichotomous key was used to classify habitat types. Each individual section of habitat, called a polygon, was mapped to create a Geographic Information System (GIS) layer depicting the location of these habitats throughout the city. A list of dominant plants present in each polygon was recorded, with percent coverage estimated for each species.
The data collected in the survey is a management resource utilized by city agencies, community groups, and local non-profit organizations involved in restoration, acquisition, and conservation of natural areas within the city. The survey also provides baseline information for monitoring habitat conditions in the future.
For a more detailed analysis of this survey, see "A Citywide Survey of Habitats on Public Land in Seattle, a tool for urban restoration planning and ecological monitoring" in our Publications page.
What did the 1999-2000 survey of Seattle urban forests uncover?
The 2000 survey showed that 2700 of the 8000 acres of public land found in Seattle are forested. Forest types and their percentage throughout the city include:
- Deciduous (70%)
- Conifer (12%)
- Conifer Deciduous Mixed (13%)
- Broadleaf Evergreen (Madrone) (1%)
- Deciduous Broadleaf Evergreen Mixed (2%)
- Conifer Broadleaf Evergreen Mixed (1%)
- Riparian (1%)
One of the goals of the survey was to measure the types and amounts of invasive species present in Seattle's urban forests. The five most invasive species in Seattle's forests are:
- Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor) - 1020 acres
- English Ivy (Hedera helix) - 718 acres
- Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) - 118 acres
- English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) - 75 acres
- Western Clematis (Clematis vitalba) - 73 acres
The survey showed that approximately 20 non-native species are invasive in Seattle's forests. When the percent cover of all of these species are combined together, the following information emerges about the condition and health of our forests:
| Table 1. Percent cover of invasive species in Seattle's urban forests | |
| Percent Cover of invasive species | Percent of total forested acres in Seattle |
|---|---|
| Trace (0-10%) | 11% |
| Low (11-30%) | 25% |
| Medium (31-50%) | 17% |
| Moderately High (51-80%) | 18% |
| High (81-100%) | 9% |
| Very High (>100%) | 20% |
The survey also showed which parks in Seattle have the greatest native plant diversity. Based on the 1999-2000 survey of Seattle’s public lands, the 20 most species rich parks or natural areas are:
University of Washington
Carkeek Park
Discovery Park
Thorton Creek Greenspace
Ravenna Park
Schmitz Park
West Duwamish Greenbelt
Burke-Gilman Trail
Jackson Park Golf course
Lincoln Park
Kubota Gardens Park
Fauntleroy Park
Camp Long
Washington Park Arboretum
Westcrest Park
Duwamish Head Greenbelt
Golden Gardens Park
East Duwamish Greenbelt
Puget Creek Natural Area
Seward Park
The survey data have been the foundation for management decisions in the City of Seattle, and is the basis for the Green Seattle Partnership.
This information can help forest stewards prioritize restoration activities in their local parks and open spaces. For example, the forested areas throughout Seattle that are highly invaded are good candidates for intensive restoration activities. On the other hand, the forested areas in Seattle that have very low cover of invasive species should be protected from invasive species encroachment. Therefore, a forest steward could target restoration activities in surrounding areas to create a buffer and extend these intact areas.
Another important value of this data is the ability to educate the public about the health of urban forests and encourage stewardship of local parks. Displaying the data in an interactive habitat map is a powerful tool that allows people to explore their public forests.
Next steps - The Citywide Habitat Assessment (CHA)
In 2005, we launched a habitat monitoring program known as the Citywide Habitat Assessment (CHA). This assessment builds on the data collected during the 1999-2000 survey. The purpose of this project is to assess the state of Seattle’s forests over time, using a repeatable, accurate methodology that measures specific indicators of forest function and health. This information will provide city managers and community groups with the information they need to most effectively manage Seattle’s urban forests. The ability to assess the health of these forests over the long-term will help managers to:
- Reduce the decline or loss of habitats and species
- Determine whether the desired condition of Seattle’s habitats has been achieved
- Identify successes and limitations of management strategies and allow for changes to these strategies
- Make the best use of limited resources by identifying which habitats need the most attention
Learn more about the Seattle Citywide Habitat Assessment