Florida is one of the top 10 most biodiverse states in the U.S., with a wide array of both native and invasive wildlife that varies greatly throughout different regions of the state.

According to the National Forest Service and studies commissioned by The Nature Conservancy, Florida ranks seventh in animal species diversity and sixth in vascular plant diversity.

And a recent study from the nonprofit charity rating company SmileHub ranks the Sunshine State in the top 15 U.S. states for wildlife protection.

Here’s where Florida ranks on SmileHub’s top 15 best states for wildlife protection and why.

What state has the best wildlife conservation?

To find the states with the most and least wildlife protection, SmileHub compared each state across 17 metrics in three categories: government and community support, legal protection and ecosystem status.

Based on those metrics, Vermont took first place on SmileHub’s list, ranking in the top 10 for each of the three categories included in the study.

“Despite the changes to the Vermont landscape, the fact is, Vermont remains a relatively rural state with an abundance of conserved land, private landowners who are excellent stewards of the environment, and many wildlife conservation success stories,” according to a 2015 overview from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department .

Florida’s wildlife protection rank

Florida ranked high for the state’s legal protections surrounding wildlife, but ranked significantly lower in other categories, placing the Sunshine State in 14th place overall on SmileHub’s list.

How much of Florida's wildlife is invasive?

“Nonnative species do not belong in Florida. Some do not cause many, if any, problems,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s website says .

“Others, however, are invasive, meaning that they negatively impact native fish and wildlife, cause damage that is costly to repair, or pose a threat to human health and safety.”

Some of the most well-known invasive species in Florida now run rampant in parts of the state, like iguanas and pythons. And according to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, they cost the state millions of dollars each year.

“Over 500 nonnative species have been introduced to Florida. While not all of these nonnative species cause harm, many pose serious threats to the environment, economy, and our health,” the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida website says .

“Invasive species cost Floridians over $500 million a year and have spread into 1.7 million acres. Species like the Burmese python and lionfish prey on native species, including endangered animals. They also compete with native species for resources.”

National Parks layoffs: Could they affect wildlife conservation in Florida?

As a part of President Trump’s ongoing efforts to reduce the amount of people employed by the federal government, an executive order titled “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative” was signed last Tuesday, Feb. 11 .

The executive order triggered a wave of layoffs throughout America’s National Parks staff, which could impact wildlife and land conservation efforts in some areas. According to a Feb. 20 report from the Tallahassee Democrat , a group of 10 National Park Service Southeast Regional archaeologists spread across nine states were fired from their jobs. And those archeologists are just a fraction of the larger group of National Parks employees who were laid off.

“They are among the 1,000 National Park Service full-time employees who lost their jobs when Trump signed an executive order to significantly reduce the size of the federal workforce. That's forced them into reconsidering a life of public service,” the Democrat’s report says.

“Tuesday was their last day of work. They showed up at their Tallahassee office dressed in blue jeans, T-shirts and collegiate sweatshirts to pack up their offices and wait for their separation interview with their division manager.”

Exactly how these layoffs might impact wildlife conservation in southern states is still unclear, but with fewer archeologists, land conservation efforts (which affect local wildlife populations) could feel a significant strain.

“Archaeology specifically is important for the parks: NPS' Southeast Archaeological Center (SEAC) in Tallahassee is the repository for all materials collected and analyzed for all national parks in a nine-state region,” according to the Democrat.

“Before any construction, renovation or any disturbance to the land can proceed, staff members search the sites with remote sensing tools, ground penetrating radar, and ground conductivity instruments for artifacts.”