More handpicked essays just for you.
How climate change effects wildlife
Essay on polar bears and global warming
The effects that climate change has on polar bears in the arctic
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: How climate change effects wildlife
A typical year in the arctic follows the same seasonal structure as a typical year in Canada – mild springs, followed by warm summers and cold autumns and winters – with the exception of it being exponentially colder. Springs and summers in the arctic, however, are becoming increasingly warmer and are starting earlier than normal, thus causing shorter and warmer autumns and winters. This, in turn, allows less time for the ice which melted in the warm months to freeze over again in the cold months. The seriousness of this issue is discussed in a report titled Climate Change Impacts on Arctic Wildlife by Greenpeace researchers Michelle Allsopp, David Santillo, and Paul Johnston (2012). They state that the shorter season of the temporary sea ice …show more content…
Because spring is starting earlier and winter is being cut short, polar bears are not able to hunt enough, rendering them unable to gain the amount of weight needed to last them though the warmer seasons. As a result, polar bears are spending more time on land where there is little food, causing malnutrition, poor body condition (Fig. 2), and lower rates of reproduction and survival (p. 5-6). This has resulted in a 22% reduction in population size between 1987 and 2004 (p. 6). In Conservation and management of Canada’s polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in a changing Arctic, Peacock, Derocher, Thiemann, and Stirling (2011) state that Canada has a responsibility for the conservation of polar bears – the decline in their population is not acceptable, and Canadians must be active in protecting the species from extinction because “majority of the polar bears in the world occur within the nation’s borders” (p. 371). They are one of the most sensitive Arctic marine mammals to climate change because their main prey are either located in the ocean (such as beluga whales), or on sea ice (such as seals) (p.
The Arctic region is home to a variety of valuable animals and plants, including polar bear, seal, and so on. The ecosystem of the Arctic region is fragile because these animals are evolved to live in extreme conditions. With the climate change, many animals are endangered. Ice is the habitat of polar animals because they have to rely on sea ices for resting, food, and reproduction. With the climate change and the decrease of sea ice, the number of polar animals is decreasing and their health is threatened. For example, the average weight of female polar bears in 1980 was about 650 pounds, but the number reduced to about 500 pounds in 2004 (Djoghlaf 15). The earlier breakup and later condensation of sea ice shortens the hunting season of polar bears. Polar bears mainly feed on seals that indwell icy land. The melting ice reduces the number of seals and food intake of polar bears. In addition, polar bears are used to living in ice caves. The rising temperature causes the collapse of ice caves, which can kill baby bears. The climate change is negatively affecting the biodiversity in the region and will definitely harm the ecosystem
Climate and weather are similar, describing how the atmosphere behaves, the difference being the timescale (Conway, 2010). Weather is a short-term scale of temperature and precipitation, usually considering weeks or less (ibid). Climate, however, is a long term description of months or longer, describing different seasons and trends of temperature and precipitation. Climate of Vancouver is typically mild during the spring and summer and damp during the autumn and winter, and unlike other mountainous areas of British Columbia, it is not excessively cold or snowy (“Hello BC”, n.d.).
The characteristics of the grizzly bear as a top predator also make it highly vulnerable to threats. Although it is an omnivore, because it relies heavily on salmon to make it through the winter, it is vulnerable to anything that impacts on salmon runs. It needs wide-ranging habitat and is slow to reproduce. As such, grizzly bears are considered not just a key species but also an ‘umbrella species’ because the protection of their habitats will result in an ‘umbrella of protection’ for a wide range of other species. The protected areas that have been set aside in the Great Bear Rainforest are not enough to sustain healthy populations of grizzly bear so it requires additional habitat set aside from logging. Trophy hunting of grizzly bears also continues to place their population at
Climate change is no doubt one of the greatest threats to this planet today. Coastal cities flooding due to melting ice caps and rising water levels, cities experiencing extreme weather, and ocean life dying because of warmer water temperatures, it is not wonder why so many scientist and country leaders are worried about the safety and future of their country. The U.S. is just one of these countries where climate change endangers 333 million people. That is why the U.S. must take action to assure the future of their residents and safety of their numerous coastal cities. Due to the rising coastal water levels, previous legislative mistakes, and the risk of further climate change consequences, President Trump should acknowledge the need for the
First, global warming has an immense impact on Arctic Sovereignty as the rise of greenhouse gases thrive in Canada along with other countries. Within 20 years, the polar ice caps of the Arctic have melted twice as fast compared to before. The loss of Arctic ice can furthermore pose a threat to shipping, as navigating the Arctic becomes increasingly challenging. Finally, climate change threatens the extinction of numerous animal species, namely the polar bear. Hence, global warming poses a major challenge to Arctic Sovereignty and Canada along with other members in the Arctic Council must prevent it.
* Polar bears are members of the bear family Ursidae. They are a carnivorous bear which can be found throughout the Arctic region where they rely on sea ice to sustain their hunting activities. Canada hosts approximately 60% of the polar bear population. Other areas inhabited by polar bears include Alas...
Out of an Ice Age emerged one of our most majestic creatures in the world, the polar bear. From its brown bear ancestry, the predator evolved to be a master of a harsh and unwelcoming ice kingdom. Intelligent, adaptable and fierce, the polar bear learned how to survive in a place that offers few comforts to any creature. But now that very environment is in flux. And so is the polar bear’s fate (Nature).
Until now, there is not a certain answer to how many grizzly bears are left in British Columbia. With approximation ranging from as low as 6,000 by individual biologists to as high as 15,000 by the B.C government, grizzly bear populations are therefore controversial. The reason why official estimates cannot be trusted is that the method used is suspicious since the government only applies a predictive model based on ground surveys conducted in only a limited number of areas. One of the independent scientists, Kyle Artelle, suggests that “more bears were being killed than government quotas allowed.” (thenarwhal) Serious situations, such as extinction, could occur on this species if trophy hunt in addition to other dire scenarios such as declining stocks of salmon along coasts and danger of road and railway accidents proceeds. Even though it is nearly impossible to eliminate all harmful causes of the depopulation for grizzly bear, the prohibition of trophy hunt can be easily taken into action to mitigate the negative trend. Additionally, grizzly bears are being an integral part of the ecosystem where they live. In case the grizzly bears die out, the ecosystem will become chaos. (pacificwild) For example, the speed of seed dispersal of many plants and berries will be reduced, the ocean-derived nutrients will cease to be transferred into inland to make
In recent decades, the global warming threat has captured the attention of the nation and the world. While the main focus began with concentrating on the effects this long-term natural crisis would have on the human population, select groups have worked to approach the topic in a manner that entails prevention in order to help other animal and plant species around the globe. One such organization is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has played a major role in the conservation of the polar bear species, one of the mammals most adversely affected by the recent climate changes. As more research has been conducted regarding the polar bears, scientific name Ursus Maritimus, the conclusions have been shocking. In 2008, the Department to the Interior listed the polar bear species as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 awarding it some protections mandated by the federal government (Wolfe). However, on January 5, 2011, Representative Donald Young proposed a bill in Congress in order to delist the polar bears as threatened, thus decreasing and even removing the conservation efforts that have been set in place over the past three years. The polar bear Species should remain listed under the Endangered Species Act because ice thickness has decreased 40 percent during the past 30 years thus reducing the polar bears’ critical environment, if current conditions continue the polar bear populations around the world may decrease by two thirds by mid century, and since the species has been protected under the Endangered Species Act the worldwide populations have experienced stabilization or growth in most circumstances.
Canadians no longer have the option of choosing between mitigation and adaptation; the International Report on Climate Change have already confirmed that Canadians must finally awake to the nation-wide impact of warming temperatures. A report compiled by the United Nations consisting of 310 scientists and 73 countries including Canada say that “the worst is yet to come. No one on the Earth will go untouched by climate change. Political and financial situations are dire.” As a result, food, land and water are becoming scarcer, increasing the prices for produce, and even insurance. Canada will experience extremer weather such as drought more frequently; evidence of such events are the recently passed cold winter, the floods last summer in Ontario and Calgary, and the sudden change in temperature last year decimating Ontario’s apple crop. As if this wasn’t enough, other nations are eyeing Canada’s abundance of fresh water; a commodity of great value if carbon emissions are not reduced. "Rather than doing its part to fight climate change, the government's track record is clear: take credit for provincial actions, mock all proposals to make polluters pay, cut Environment Canada's climate change and clean-air budget massively, heckle from across the aisle and cheat future Canadians of their right to climate security,” said Liberal MP Joyce Murray, challenging Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. Canada needs to take action; the longer we take, the harder it is to make an impact.
To begin with, the melting of polar ice caps has caused polar bears to swim long distances. According to Bryan Walsh of TIME Magazine the melting of the ice caps have caused polar bears especially the young cubs to swim longer distances which has caused a “ forty-five percent mortality rate” (Walsh). In the article Walsh, writes about a study that showed that younger cubs because of low fat and strength were more likely to die due to the long di...
Polar bears don't just live on ice, they use the ice as an advantage to catch prey such as seals. Polar bears have adapted to living on ice and being able to withstand the cold weather. Now that the climate is changing at a fast pace, polar bears are losing their land because its melting, leaving them with no place to walk, sleep and taking away their way of hunting prey. (polar bears international, 2015) This is all happening so fast that there is no way polar bears will be able to adapt to the new environments, causing extinction. The arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world is due to the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, making it a problem happening very rapidly. (Bagley, 2015) Temperatures in the Arctic region have risen 7 degrees Fahrenheit over the last half century. (Bagley, 2015) Population among polar bears has decreased up to 40% in some areas. (Bagley, 2015) With the climate getting warmer, ice is melting earlier every spring, and takes longer to freeze every winter which is disrupting the feeding and breeding cycles of many different arctic species. (Bagley, 2015) Polar bears have adapted ways to survive in the cold harsh arctic environment including having the ability to cool down their outer skin to keep their vital organs warm when they are submerged in cold water. Though this may help the delay of hypothermia as they have to swim greater distances from ice shelf to ice shelf, that doesn't mean polar bears can swim forever. (Bagley, 2015) One bear that a scientist studied swam 500 miles over nine days, but lost 22% of her body weight, and lost her cub.(Bagley, 2015) Many different scientists have been studying the behaviour of the polar bear to see if it could adapt in any way to survive. Eight U.S scientists made a hypothesis consisting that polar bears could lower their metabolic rates enough to survive as food
Various glaciers in Alaska and other parts of the United States have shrunk dramatically. If temperatures continue to rise, the ice will continue to melt, and some glaciers could disappear completely, which causes sea levels to rise. There are many animals, birds, and seafood that depend solely on glaciers for survival. With an increase in sea water temperature, and increasing sea levels, sea-plants that these fish thrive on will be lost, lowering the number of seafood, which in-turn will make survival of many species difficult. The arctic is source region for cold ocean currents and with no ice it will have no density and temperature distinctions, which pushes the ocean currents. If the ocean current heat transfer mechanism powers down,
The polar regions are most affected and vulnerable to the warming temperatures because the poles are covered in ice. The world’s ice sheets are melting faster than ever and temperatures in the Arctic region are rising twice as fast as anywhere else on Earth according to the NRDC. This will have a serious impact on people, wildlife and plants in that region. The National Climate Assessment has said that “By the year 2100, it 's estimated our oceans will be one to four feet higher, threatening coastal systems and low-lying areas, including entire island nations and the world 's largest cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Miami as well as Mumbai, Sydney, and Rio de Janeiro”. Polar bears are in great threat as the ice sheets melt because they use the ice to travel across the land and hunt. As the sea-ice platforms move further apart, the swimming conditions become more dangerous. The U.S Geological Survey done by the National Wildlife Federation predicts that by the year 2050, two thirds of all polar bears will disappear. Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the Adelie penguins in Antarctica and reported the numbers have fallen from 32,000 to only 11,000 over the last 30