How Does Polar Retreat Affect Polar Bears

The melting sea ice is also affecting the polar bear's main prey, seals, forcing the bears to turn to alternate, less nutritious food sources. Once sea ice forms in the winter, seals use the ice to create dens to give birth to their pups. In these months, polar bears use sea ice as their hunting grounds to find seal dens. Now that Seasonal Ice is forming later and melting earlier (IPCC, 2013), seals have less time to build dens and give birth. Consequently, polar bears have less time to hunt their preferred prey of seal pups. They must spend more time on land hunting other animals of less nutritional value. Organizations like Sea World Parks have reported male polar bears occasionally eating newly-born polar bear cubs because they cannot find other food to eat. Lack of nutritional food leads to a reduced body size. Polar bears are becoming thinner and weaker from not eating enough (Rode, Amstrup, & Regehr 2010). They have to swim longer distances to find ice to hunt upon, causing many cubs to die because they are not yet strong enough. In the Hudson Bay, the average polar bear weight has decreased by 15% and the population has decreased by 20% (National Wildlife Federation). In the summer when there is no ice, polar bears in the Hudson Bay go onto land to fast until the ice reforms. Now that ice is

There are about 100 different species of animals there, all of which are affected by climate change, but polar bears the worst. Polar bears are the most sensitive to the rapid change in climate because most of their life is spent on sea ice. With the temperatures rising in the Beringia Upland Tundra, the sea ice they thrive on is melting at a very high rate (Powell). Without this ice, the polar bears will not be able to easily move around to mate with other polar bears. They will also not be able to successful hunts on seals because the seals will see them swimming and swim away before anything bad can happen to them. If there was not a shortage of ice, the seals would not see the polar bears on the ice and they would swim closer to the surface. Another challenge the polar bears will face is that they will be eventually forced to go on to the seashore. This would be catastrophic because there would be and increase of competition for food. This could start massive stampedes that could kill polar bear cubs due to adult polar bears trampling them. As of now, there are only 26,000 wild polar bears alive. By 2050, it is predicted that two thirds of all wild polar bears will be gone. By 2100, it is predicted that polar bears will become extinct if nothing is done about global warming and climate change (Kliskey). Another animal in the Beringia Upland Tundra that is affected by climate change in

Warmer winters leave seals without protective ice dens. This exposure to the elements increases infant mortality and leaves adults unprotected from fisherman. Fishermen use nets to trap the seals, which also end up littering the oceans. An average of 60,000 seals were killed each year between 1984 and 1994. Most of the pelts are first purchased by processors in Newfoundland. The seals are also facing pollution, which causes habitat loss. Predators of seals are the Orca, Killer Whale, Great White Shark, and Polar Bears. Global warming is another concern for seals. As the polar ice caps melts, the seals find more predators in their natural habitat. Which means they are at risk of being eaten as well as having to share their food and other supplies. Seals have to eat more to gain blubber and keep themselves warm. Seals that live in colder regions are heavier in

"Polar Bears, Ringed Seals, and the Complex Consequences of Climate Change" is an article written by Mary Bates who earned her PhD studying Bat echolocation. She works for an American Association for the Advancement of Science. In this article Mary talks about how Climate change is impacting different species at different rates. Here, she focuses on sea-ice dependent animals such as Polar Bears and Ringed Seals at Arctic. She explains on how these animals are dependent upon the sea-ice for living. The Arctic is warming at a rate three times greater than the global average, and that the sea ice coverage is declining rapidly. She also talks about Hamilton's study on sea-ice dependent animals. Before the melting of sea ice the Polar bears used

Polar bears are one of the countless species who are endangered. They were one of the first animals affected by global warming and their population is heavily decreasing. Around 1980, the Arctic was as large as 8 million square kilometres. In 2011, studies show that the Arctic has reduced its size to 4.5 million square kilometers. In the future, will there be anything such as the Arctic? Scientist predict by 2040, only a fringe of ice will remain in Northeast Canada and Northern Greenland. This is known as the Last Ice Area. This matter is mostly taking part in Canada, since; Canada holds more than half the world’s polar bear population. Other affected countries include the U.S. (Alaska), Greenland,

With the ever rising global temperatures, melting ice caps, and constant warnings about global warming, it is no wonder that the animals inhabiting the artic regions around the world are now suffering a decline in their habitat as well as their livelihood. Such is the case with the Polar Bears who may soon be gone in a scant few years.

Polar bears diets mainly rely on seals so the current changes in ice will affect the life cycle of the seals as well as it will play a big role in the life cycle of an adult polar bear. A large decrease in adult polar bears has been noticed and is believed to have been noticed and is believed to have been caused by the ice changes over the last few years as the decline in the seal population results in the polar bears being hungry during the winter which means they are not storing enough fat to produce energy to keep them alive all winter resulting in the polar bears unable to survive the cold winter months without their natural food source (Prowse et al,

The Arctic region has been experiencing increasing warming throughout the last thirty years, which has led to the changes to lake and river systems, and the melting of permafrost. These changes and the continuing changes, caused by global warming have raised concerns about its effects on wildlife populations that rely on the northern lake ecosystems, such as loons. Loons rely on freshwater lakes for nesting their young, and the invertebrate and fish that live in the lakes use the habitat for food. This effect on Loons can be compared to other animals around the Arctic region, and how the warming is affecting them.

Research found that Alaska is made up of about 5% of ice; this may not seem like a lot but Alaska’s land area is about 571,951sm meaning that about 28,500sm of Alaska is ice, that’s about the size of about 7 Hawaii’s. On this ice, wildlife such as Polar Bears and Caribou live. Thanks the Global Warming this ice is being melted away, making homes for these animals even smaller, this causes these animals to have to migrate to other regions. If Global Warming doesn’t stop all of Alaska’s ice will melt. When this happens were will these animals go? Polar Bears, along with other animals are already endangered and Global warming has been a major cause of this. Research

Most of these animals need sea ice to give birth, feed or rest. Shifting to land in order to accomplish theses tasks tremendously affects the biology of many -the polar bear specifically, as noted by Walter Vetter and his team of scientists at the University of Hohenheim. The polar bears are becoming so thin that their fat reserves have shifted completely in order to concentrate on nourishing the brain, kidneys and liver. In light of the situation, scientists all over the world are urgently calling for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, urging us to think about these animals and to help in any way that we

The polar bear lives up in the Arctic region where global warming and climate change are melting the ice caps that the bears thrive on. They use the ice as a platform from hunting and rest. The random pocket holes in the ice, where the seals pop up at, is where the polar bear catches its prey. With this reduction of ice, “the abundance of seals, and increases the amount of energy and time needed for hunting, leaving less energy for reproduction” (Endangered Species and Habitats).

Habitat loss is one of the most evident effects of climate change on animals. Forests, as well as deserts support many forms of life. It is the home of insects and animals like bears, and birds. If forests will be cleared out for the development of land for families, business and farming purposes, animals will loose their homes and food. Because of deforestation, many of the trees and the other plants that provide food to the herbivorous animals will get extinct at a faster speed. Droughts caused by global warming could dry up 90 percent of central U.S. wetlands, eliminating essential breeding habitat for ducks, geese and other traveling species (National Wildlife Federation). Climate change is the main reason to wildlife's survival and putting natural resources in danger. The change in temperature caused by global warming has many effects on the habitats of animals. The melting ice will cause the loss of habitat for species such as the polar bears, penguins, and seals. The arctic ice that is melting makes it difficult for polar bears to hunt. Warmer water will also cause the population of fish such as trout

Polar bears are the most known animals for the impacts of climate change on species. Global warming has been most prominent in the Arctic, and this trend is expected to continue. Their dependence on sea ice makes them highly vulnerable to a changing climate. Polar bears greatly rely on the sea ice environment for traveling, hunting, mating, resting, and in some areas, maternal dens (WWF). Specifically, they depend heavily on sea ice-dependent prey such as seals. Additionally, their long generation time and low reproductive rate may limit their ability to adapt to changes in the environment. Every time people breathe or burn something, oxygen in the air is converted to carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is used by plants to breathe and is converted back to oxygen, creating a cycle. If there is an increase in oxygen burning, for example, burning a lot of coal or oil to generate electricity or run cars, and cut down trees, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is increased. This makes the air thicker and warms up the earth. The amount of warming is only a few degrees but it is enough to disturb the fragile balance of nature, which in turn will melt the polar ice, raise sea levels, cause violent hurricanes and endanger species such as polar bears. The polar bears are just one example of endangered animals because of the high demand of human need for energy which is acquired by burning fossil fuels.

Polar bears are very specialized animals, they live in a unique climate unlike any other. As of 2014, five of the nineteen bear populations in the world are in decline (Polar Bear Status, Distribution & Population). Now that the ice they depend on is melting, problems are rising for them. To begin with, the ice meltage is reducing the polar bears access to food. (Action Bioscience- Polar Bears) In order to catch their food, the polar bears must climb on and around the ice. It is difficult for them to catch their primary food source, seals, with no solid ice. Also, less ice causes an increase in drowning. Imagine a polar bear is standing on

The melting ice caps are having a dramatic affect on the polar regions of the earth. For example, the average temperature in the Arctic is rising twice as fast than the rest of the world (nrdc.org). The once prominent ice is now melting at a dramatic speed, which is affecting native people, wildlife, and plants. When the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf splintered, the freshwater lake that it surrounded drained into the ocean, along with the ecosystem that inhabited it. Polar bears, whales, walrus and seals are changing their feeding and migration patterns, making it harder for native people to hunt them (nrdc.org). Because of the flooding, entire villages will be uprooted order to avoid being swamped. Also, the Arctic coastlines are beginning to move as well. The melting ice caps are threatening the native peoples’ cultural identity and their very survival. Ice-dependant animals, such as walruses and ring seals will be greatly affected by the melting ice caps (treehugger.com). They have fewer places to rest on, as well as fewer places to hunt. If the ice caps keep melting, their lives will become in great danger. The melting ice caps are not only affecting the Polar Regions, but they are also affecting the rest of the world as well in the form of rising ocean levels.