WASSMER ET AL.: SOUTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA BOBCAT ECOLOGY


 STUDY AREA


 The study area (Fig. 1) is located near the southern end of the Lake Wales
Ridge, a southward extension of the state's Central Highlands region and the
most prominent topographic feature of peninsular Florida. The Ridge is
characterized by relict sand dunes, scarps, and other features indicative of
former higher sea levels (White 1970). In the vicinity of the study area the
Ridge ranges from about 6 to 12 km in width and from 30 to 68 m in elevation.
 The climate of the region is characterized by hot, wet summers and cooler,
drier winters. Mean annual rainfall and temperature are 1370 mm and 22.20C,
respectively. Relative humidity usually ranges from about 75-85% at dawn to
about 20-45% at midday throughout the year (Douglass and Layne 1978).
During the study, mean annual temperature was 21.90C, and the extreme high
and low temperatures were 37.2C and -7.20C, respectively. Daily maximum
and minimum temperatures for the warmer months (May-October) averaged
33.20C and 25.90C, respectively, while corresponding averages for the cooler
months (November-April) were 19.0C and 9.90C. Mean annual rainfall was
1201 mm, with 73% occurring from May through October. Standing water was
present in drainage canals, creeks, and seasonal ponds throughout 1979 and
early 1980. During summer 1980, most of these sources dried up and open
water was limited to two large and three small permanent lakes or ponds,
scattered livestock watering troughs, and an irrigation ditch system. Dry
conditions prevailed during the rest of the study despite normal rainfall in
1981.
 Seven major natural vegetation associations (southern ridge sandhill, sand
 pine scrub, scrubby flatwoods, flatwoods, swale, bayhead, seasonal ponds) are
 found in the protected core area (Abrahamson et al. 1984). Similar
 associations and various man-modified habitats occur on the remainder of the
 study site. For purposes of this investigation, the following eight general
 habitat types were recognized (percentage of each type in parentheses): closed
 canopy xeric pine-oak (4), open canopy xeric pine-oak (28), flatwoods (21),
 bayhead (7), citrus grove and tree nursery (16), oldfield (10), improved pasture
 (12), and man-occupied (2). Figure 2 shows the distribution of these habitat
 types in the study area.
 The xeric pine-oak category includes the vegetative associations recognized
 by Abrahamson et al. (1984) as southern ridge sandhill, sand pine scrub, and
 scrubby flatwoods. These associations are characteristic of the deep sandy,
 well-drained soils of the Lake Wales Ridge. South Florida slash pine (Pinus
 elliottii var. densa) and sand pine (P. clausa) are the dominant overstory
 species. Common understory and shrub layer species include turkey oak
 (Quercus laevis), inopina oak (Q. inopina), Chapman's oak (Q.