In the mid 1980s severe freezes devastated orange groves in central Florida. Since then citrus cultivation has moved rapidly toward the south, principally west and south of Lake Okeechobee in prime panther habitat (see maps). About 60 percent of the groves have been established on improved pasture or abandoned vegetable fields while native habitat was eliminated on the remaining 40 percent (Kautz 1994).

     A recent study (Mazzotti et al. 1993) found that 25 percent of suitable panther habitat (93,000 hectares) in Hendry, Collier, Glades, Lee, and Charlotte counties is of excellent quality for citrus development. Another 110,000 hectares is of good quality for citrus development. In fact thousands of hectares have been permitted for citrus (but not yet planted) in Collier County alone. If all the land rated "excellent" or "good" for citrus is converted to groves, almost all of the highest quality panther habitat will be destroyed (Mazzotti et al. 1993). Furthermore, more information is needed on the relationship between fertilizers and pesticides applied in groves and the health of panthers and other animals (Mazzotti et al. 1993).

     Biologists have on occasion radio-located and found tracks of panthers in citrus groves, usually within small remnants of native habitat within the groves (McCown: personal communication). One panther even denned and successfully raised three kittens in a vine-covered fern bed in a water retention area of a citrus grove. The grove was located less than .5 kilometers north of Big Cypress National Preserve. Deer, a key food item of the panther, may also be found in groves, feeding on shoots of newly fertilized young trees, particularly if the grove is small and adjacent to native forest (Harlow and Jones 1965; McCown: personal communication).

    Given the facts that orange groves are an increasing land use in southwest Florida and that panthers, especially young males, travel widely, it is not surprising that evidence of their presence is occasionally found in groves.

    Large-scale conversion of land to citrus in southwest Florida would seriously jeopardize the chance of survival of the Florida panther by decreasing available habitat. Current public lands can only support 9 to 22 of the estimated 30 to 50 panthers in the region (Logan et al. 1993b). Given additional problems associated with inbreeding and habitat fragmentation, "this number would almost certainly decline to result in extinction" (Maehr 1990b:169).

    Will conversion to citrus be a step to even more intensive development? In central Florida, conversion of native habitat or improved range to citrus was followed several decades later by conversion of citrus groves to residential and commercial development.

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