How are polar bears affected by global warming? Aranza Sanchez

ABOUT POLAR BEARS Polar bears are said to have developed about 5 million years ago from the original brown bear ancestors. Polar bears are found in Arctic areas. They are carnivorous mammals They hunt seals at opening sea ice called leads or just in the breathing wholes which are called aglus. They are also know as marine bears There is only five nations in which polar bears are found, they are: United States (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway.

As we all know global warming is the effect of the increasing temperature in the world of the earths atmosphere, due to the greenhouse effect, which is caused by high levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. WHAT IS GLOBAL WAMRING?

WHAT IS THE EFFECT WITHIN POLAR BEARS? Polar bears have been largely affected by global warming, they have adapted for a life on the sea they depend on it, since they have to hunt in able to survive. However the arctic sea is vanishing due to the fact of the warming Earth, which has created a big impact on the arctic environment.

The arctic is having each time more often less ice, less glaciers which means: Reduced access to food Drop in body condition Lower cub survival rates Increase in drowning Increase in cannibalism Loss of access to denning areas EFFECT ON POLAR BEARS

FOOD SHORTAGES FOR POLAR BEARS In Canada during summer there is absolutely no ice, thus Polar bears must adapt to live on land until the season changes and it freezes. As they adapt to live on land, it provides them to have either little food or nothing until they can hunt again on ice. Hunting areas are reducing, this will cause for the Polar bears less seals, since the ice cap is decreasing. FOOD SHORTAGES FOR POLAR BEARS

CANNIBALISM BETWEEN POLAR BEARS Due to the climate change, it is causing a horrible change in Polar bears diet, they are suffering from starvation during a long period of time, which has lead them to act upon each other as cannibals. As a matter of fact it has never been seen Polar bears killing each other for food, instead the only reason they would is for dominance or kill cubs so they can breed with the females.

DROWNINGS The reduction of ice has created consequences, as a result it turns out polar bears have to travel large distances to reach ice since it is farther away from the shore, which basically makes it less accessible. The large gap of water is very dangerous because it has harsh wave conditions, their travelling is very risky.  It has also never been observed Polar bears drowned before, back in 2004 there was four polar bears that had suffered from drowning in the Beaufort Sea.

IMAGES OF POLAR BEARS

BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears/essentials/what-are-polar-bears http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears/global-warming#Affect http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx