Abstract
Large terrestrial mammals play complex ecological roles but occur at low densities and require wide-ranging habitats, making them especially vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances that intensify human-wildlife conflict and population declines that can trigger cascading effects. American black bears (Ursus americanus) were once widespread, but overharvest and habitat loss have extirpated them from much of their range. In Florida, urbanization and agricultural expansion have fragmented the landscape and isolated populations, yet the ecological role of black bears remains poorly understood. This dissertation examined the diet, habitat selection, and seed dispersal potential of the Florida black bear in a human-modified landscape. Using DNA metabarcoding, I found that diet composition was shaped by season and urbanization, with urbanization predicting the number of anthropogenic foods consumed. I then developed an integrated step selection function (iSSF) population-level model and found that bears consistently selected for high canopy cover and avoided urban land cover and impervious surfaces. Bears showed positive selection for rural-agricultural areas and tree plantations relative to forested wetlands, likely reflecting directional movement through a fragmented agricultural matrix. Building on the iSSF, I produced spatially explicit estimates of seed dispersal, finding that black bears are effective long-distance seed dispersers and that approximately 51% of dispersal events occur in suitable habitats. These findings contribute to our understanding of the ecological role of large mammals in fragmented landscapes and have implications for conservation planning and mitigation in increasingly human-modified environments.