Effects Of Global Warming On Polar Bears
Global Warming is causing the decrease of polar bear populations due to the loss of habitat, scarcity of food, and higher mortality rates in pups. There are nineteen subpopulations of polar bears in the world. They are called "subpopulations" because they are not genetically distinct to one area but generally inhabit nineteen different areas across the circumpolar arctic. A study showed that between 2001 and 2010 there was a 40% population decrease of these bears and according to a U.S Geological Survey, two-thirds of Ursus Maritimus (the scientific name for the polar bear) are projected to disappear by 2050. Polar bears all around the world rely on sea ice which is being melted and shifted from global warming. They rely on the ice for hunting
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The currents and winds interacting causes the ice to continuously melt and refreeze forming patches and leads which are open spaces in the ocean between the sea ice. The ice sheets are shrinking though and as they do, the sea bears are losing their habitats. Remaining ice is becoming farther and farther from the shore making it less accessible to the bears. Pregnant sea bears need the ice dens for protection and rest while they are denning and going to be soon-to-be parents of pups. Denning in the fall, the females will excavate a small snow cave, not relatively big, and there she will rest and eventually give birth to up to three pups in the winter. The mom and the pups will stay in the dens ‘till spring so that they stay safe while growing strong and and big. Polar bears are like humans too, they need their sleep to regain energy. The polar bears main food source (seals) is more active at night so most bears sleep around seven to eight hours during the day and then be ready to hunt their prey at night. When the ice melts they lose their habitats and when they lose their habitats, the polar bears have to go to land more frequently and stay on land for longer periods of time. If ice bears retreat for land it could cause many problems. They wouldn't have a den, land food is not sufficient enough to sustain the high-fat diet the bear needs, and they may even have to compete with other animals such as the grizzly bear in an
The currents and winds interacting causes the ice to continuously melt and refreeze forming patches and leads which are open spaces in the ocean between the sea ice. The ice sheets are shrinking though and as they do, the sea bears are losing their habitats. Remaining ice is becoming farther and farther from the shore making it less accessible to the bears. Pregnant sea bears need the ice dens for protection and rest while they are denning and going to be soon-to-be parents of pups. Denning in the fall, the females will excavate a small snow cave, not relatively big, and there she will rest and eventually give birth to up to three pups in the winter. The mom and the pups will stay in the dens ‘till spring so that they stay safe while growing strong and and big. Polar bears are like humans too, they need their sleep to regain energy. The polar bears main food source (seals) is more active at night so most bears sleep around seven to eight hours during the day and then be ready to hunt their prey at night. When the ice melts they lose their habitats and when they lose their habitats, the polar bears have to go to land more frequently and stay on land for longer periods of time. If ice bears retreat for land it could cause many problems. They wouldn't have a den, land food is not sufficient enough to sustain the high-fat diet the bear needs, and they may even have to compete with other animals such as the grizzly bear in an