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University of Kentucky UKnowledge University of Kentucky Master's Theses Graduate School 2009 FLORIDA PANTHER AND BLACK BEAR: A ROAD AND URBAN AVOIDANCE/UTILIZATION ANALYSIS AND IMPACTS OF LAND USE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON LARGE CARNIVORE HABITAT IN FLORIDA Andrew James Whittle University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Whittle, Andrew James, "FLORIDA PANTHER AND BLACK BEAR: A ROAD AND URBAN AVOIDANCE/ UTILIZATION ANALYSIS AND IMPACTS OF LAND USE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON LARGE CARNIVORE HABITAT IN FLORIDA" (2009). University of Kentucky Master's Theses. 618. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_theses/618 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Kentucky Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT OF THESIS FLORIDA PANTHER AND BLACK BEAR: A ROAD AND URBAN AVOIDANCE/UTILIZATION ANALYSIS AND IMPACTS OF LAND USE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON LARGE CARNIVORE HABITAT IN FLORIDA Florida is expanding its urban borders into areas of the native habitat. Increased expansion is predicted through the next several decades. Several sections of the state are home to large carnivores, such as Florida panther and black bear, which are important to ecosystem function. Expansion of roads and urban centers will greatly reduce the quality and quantity of carnivore habitat. In this study, I used Euclidean distance analyses and very high frequency (VHF) telemetry points to produce distance categories in which carnivores either have a negative/neutral/positive association with roads and urban centers. The seven black bear populations followed four different trends: 1) Slight avoidance of roads and urban centers, 2) strong avoidance of roads and urban centers, 3) neutrality toward roads and urban centers, and 3) one population with a positive association of roads. Florida panther showed strong avoidance to roads and urban centers. Finally I modeled Florida panther and black bear habitat using Maximum Entropy Species Distribution software and placed future urban expansion and sea level incursions associated with climate change over the habitat to find high priority conservation areas. KEYWORDS: Florida Panther, Black Bear, Road and Urban Avoidance, Euclidean Distance Analysis, Sea Level Rise ______________________ ______________________ FLORIDA PANTHER AND BLACK BEAR: A ROAD AND URBAN AVOIDANCE/UTILIZATION ANALYSIS AND IMPACTS OF LAND USE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON LARGE CARNIVORE HABITAT IN FLORIDA By Andrew James Whittle _______________________________ Director of Thesis _______________________________ Director of Graduate Studies _______________________________ RULES FOR THE USE OF THESES Unpublished theses submitted for the Master’s degree and deposited in the University of Kentucky Library are as a rule open for inspection, but are to be used only with due regard to the rights of the authors. Bibliographical reference may be noted, but quotations or summaries of parts may be published only with the permission of the author, and with the usual scholarly acknowledgements. Extensive copying or publication of the thesis in whole or in part also requires the consent of the Dean of Graduate School of the University of Kentucky. A library that borrows this thesis for use by its patrons is expected to secure the signature of each user. Name Date ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ THESIS Andrew James Whittle The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2009 FLORIDA PANTHER AND BLACK BEAR: A ROAD AND URBAN AVOIDANCE/UTILIZATION ANALYSIS AND IMPACTS OF LAND USE AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON LARGE CARNIVORE HABITAT IN FLORIDA ________________________________________________________________________ THESIS A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the College of Forestry at the University of Kentucky By Andrew James Whittle Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Songlin Fei, Professor of Forestry Lexington, Kentucky 2009 Copyright © Andrew James Whittle 2009 Dedicated to my family, friends, and Dr. Dave Maehr ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following thesis benefited from the insight of several people. First, my advisor, Dr. Songlin Fei helped me throughout my time in graduate school with not only technical support but was a mentor. I also want to acknowledge Dr. John Cox who assisted me with data acquisition, biological insights, and friendship, and Dr. Phil Crowley who joined my committee during a difficult time and gave me helpful comments and insights. Finally I want to acknowledge the late Dr. Dave Maehr. He was the man who gave me my first job in wildlife and helped me get into graduate school. He helped me obtain funding from the Forestry Department and was an expert in all things Florida panther and black bear. I hope my research lives up to his expectations. He is missed. iii Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………...v LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………vi CHAPTER ONE: Road and Urban Avoidance/Utilization Analysis SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 METHODS ..................................................................................................................... 3 RESULTS ....................................................................................................................... 6 Road and Urban Development . ................................................................................. 6 Road avoidance . ........................................................................................................ 7 Urban avoidance . ...................................................................................................... 8 Habitat associations. ................................................................................................... 9 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER TWO: Impacts of Land Use and Climate Change on Large Carnivore Habitat in Florida SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 32 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 32 METHODS ................................................................................................................... 34 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................... 38 Year 2003 Habitat Suitability Models ...................................................................... 38 Panther ...................................................................................................................... 38 Black Bear ................................................................................................................. 39 Future Habitat Suitability Models ............................................................................. 40 Panther ...................................................................................................................... 40 Black Bear ................................................................................................................. 41 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................... 41 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 61 Appendix 1.A: Black Bear Habitat Classification ........................................................ 61 Appendix 1.B: Florida Panther Habitat Classification ................................................. 63 Appendix 2.A: Florida Panther Critical Habitat Maps ................................................. 65 Appendix 2.B: Black Bear Critical Habitat Maps ........................................................ 73 Appendix 3: Florida Panther and Black bear Habitat Analysis .................................... 85 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 93 VITA ............................................................................................................................... 102 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1, Suitable, Medium, and Prime Carnivore Habitat for Florida as Modeled Using MaxEnt…………………………………………………………………………………..54

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