Habitat loss ahead for Florida wildlife

Florida population is expected to double in the next 50 years, and that population growth could mean a loss of 7 million acres of wildlife habitat, a Lakeland Ledger article says.

Habitat loss isn't anything new, but now is as good a time as any to think about how to prevent habitat loss. It's a problem that is one of the main causes of wildlife species' downfall. Think of the Florida panther, gopher tortoise, Florida scrub jay and Florida black bear, to name a few.

This isn't just bad news for wildlife -- it also means more potentially dangerous human/animal encounters as wildlife move into urbanized areas to look for food and shelter, and it means fewer places for recreation, the article points out.