The biggest threat for these polar bears is the loss of their sea ice habitat due to global warming. These bears make their living on Arctic ice and this is the reason why global warming is such a threat to these animals.
They are impacted by global warming because; their population size is decreasing, the swimming conditions are more dangerous because the sea ice platforms are moving farther apart "in 2004 biologists discovered 4 drowned polar bears in the Beaufort Sea and they suspect the actual number of drowned bears could have been a lot more." There are a lot less hunting oppurtunities, and there is an increase in scarcity of food "less preys."
They are impacted by global warming because; their population size is decreasing, the swimming conditions are more dangerous because the sea ice platforms are moving farther apart "in 2004 biologists discovered 4 drowned polar bears in the Beaufort Sea and they suspect the actual number of drowned bears could have been a lot more." There are a lot less hunting oppurtunities, and there is an increase in scarcity of food "less preys."
The U.S Geological Survey projects that 2/3 of polar bears will disappear by 2050.
In Hudson Bay for example there is no sea ice during the summer, these bears have to live on land until the Bay freezes in fall, they can then start hunting on ice again. On land during the summer these polar bears don't eat a lot. |
In only 20 years the ice-free period in the Hudson Bay has went up by 20 days. This is cutting down the hunting season for the polar bear.
The ice freezes later on during the fall, but the early spring ice melt is very difficult for the bears. They don't have much time to hunt during that period of time which is a "critical season." As a result, average polar bear weight has dropped by 15%, this causes reproduction rates to decline. The Hudson Bay population is down by more than 20%. |
Official National Wildlife Federation. (2011). Global Warming and Polar Bears
Retreived from: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx
Retreived from: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx