Habitat Loss

• Nearly 3 million acres of existing agricultural lands and 2.7 million acres of native habitat will be claimed by roads, shopping malls and subdivisions.
• During the mid-20th century, Florida lost more than seven million acres of forest and herbaceous wetlands to development.
• The addition of 18 million new residents to Florida will intensely heighten the competition between wildlife and humans for land and water resources.
• More than 1.6 million acres of woodland habitat may be lost and wetland habitats will become more isolated and degraded.
  
• If Florida's population doubles during the next five decades, about 7 million additional acres of land  - equivalent to the state of Vermont - could be converted from rural and natural to urban uses .
• Florida’s massive population growth and booming tourism industry have disturbed and fragmented many natural areas across the state. Estimates based on current growth rates suggest Florida could lose an additional seven million acres of rural and natural lands to urban uses within the next 50 years.