The process of breaking larger areas of habitat into smaller pieces, often as a result of human activities such as road building and urbanization, is called habitat fragmentation. In addition to a reduction in the amount of habitat available for Florida black bears, another problem is that bear habitat is becoming more fragmented. In 2016, the Florida black bear population was estimated at around 4,000 bears, and all data indicate the population is increasing annually. While biologists are not able to know exactly how many black bears are in Florida, the population estimates used in this activity are based on the best available data. Today, most of Florida’s black bears reside in a total area covering approximately 45 percent of the species’ original range. When a map showing the current distribution of the Florida black bear is examined, it is easy to see that Florida’s black bear population is primarily located in areas where forestlands have not been converted by human development, such as agriculture and urbanization. As one of the fastest developing states in the country, wildlife habitat in Florida is being converted to development every day. During the mid-20thcentury, Florida lost more than seven million acres of forest and herbaceous wetlands to development. They also explore the impact of habitat fragmentation due to development and urbanization on Florida black bear populations.īlack bears have lived in Florida for several thousand years. Before European settlement, an estimated 11,000 black bears lived in forested habitats throughout the state. Main Topic: Distribution of remaining black bear populations in Floridaĭescription: Students locate the remaining areas of Florida black bear habitat on a map and compare and contrast key characteristics of theses remaining areas of habitat. Key Question: Where are black bears still found in Florida? Over 4,000 black bears can now be found in Florida. VIDEO UPDATE: Black bear numbers have continued to increase since this video was recorded.
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