According to the IPBES biodiversity loss report, the direct exploitation of organisms is one of the main drivers of Earth’s biodiversity crisis.
As of July 2016, Florida was home to 87 endangered species and 37 threatened species.
One example is the Florida panther, which once ranged throughout the Southeastern United States. Today it survives only in a tiny area of South Florida, in just 5 percent of its former range.
“Large numbers of panthers died as the expanding network of roads connecting Florida’s rapidly growing human population spread throughout its range. As of 2011, there are only 100 to 120 panthers left,” reads a report by the Center for Biological Diversity.
Another example is the loggerhead sea turtle, which was listed as a federally endangered species in 1978 due to the destruction of its nesting habitat, overharvesting of its eggs and death from getting accidentally caught in fishing gear. Ninety-five percent of the breeding population of loggerheads nest in Florida. Although the population has increased in recent years, it is still very vulnerable.
To learn more about threatened or endangered species in Florida, visit: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/
Next: Changes in Land and Sea Use