Abstract

Abstract South Florida is a rapidly urbanizing region with large amounts of intensive types of agriculture such as citrus and sugarcane. This region, where the temperate and tropic regions meet, is very diverse in flora and fauna. At least 68 federally listed species occur in South Florida, including the endangered Florida panther, Puma concolor coryi (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1999). These vulnerable species are under increasing pressure as the human population continues to increase and economic expansion is accompanied by extensive land-use alterations. Cox et al. (1994) estimated that more than 3.2 million ha (or 8 million acres) of forest and wetland habitats have been cleared in Florida to accommodate the expanding human population over the last 50 years. The human population in Florida is expected to continue its growth, reaching 17.8 million people by 2010, with about half of them living in the South Florida ecosystem (Floyd 1997). The endangered Florida panther is the only representative of the species Puma concolor surviving in the eastern United States, and it survives only in a small area in South Florida. The Florida panther is an excellent example of a unique rare Florida species. The high-profile, endangered cat is a habitat generalist that ranges widely, seeking its preferred prey of deer and hogs. Panther numbers, though, are greatly reduced. As of 2001, the verifiable, by radiotelemetry and other field data, number of panthers in South Florida was 78 adults and juveniles (McBride 2001).

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