Some of the greatest threats polar bears face is Climate change, toxic pollution, oil exploration and greenhouse gasses.
-Polar bears rely on sea ice so that they can hunt and store energy for the summer and autumn when there is less food. Since the ice is melting earlier and forming later polar bears are going longer periods without food so that their health declines which can lead to lower reproduction rates and local extinction.
-Being one of the top predators Polar bears are exposed to the high levels of toxins found in the Arctic food chain. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is a wide range of poisonous substances that are mostly banned but are still sometimes used and stay in the environment for years. Inadequate screening systems is causing new chemicals to show up in the Arctic for example heat resistant chemicals (PCBs), industrial by-products such as dioxins and furans, pesticides like DDT, dieldrin and lindane. Bears with high levels of POPs have low levels of thyroid hormones, vitamin A, and some antibodies which are important for things like growth, the ability to fight off diseases and reproduction. In some places the mother bears milk has these chemicals which causes them to poison their cubs which leads to lower survival rates. Scientists also believe that the 1.5% of polar bears sampled on Svalbard in recent years with partially-developed male sexual organs- Pseudohermaphrodites may be the result of long range pollutants.
The growing oil and gas business in the arctic causes a huge threat to the polar bears. Contact with oil spills can reduce the insulating effect of the bears fur which means the bear needs to use more energy to stay warm by increasing its calorie intake which is not always easy. The polar bears can ingest the oil from prey which can cause liver and kidney damage. Bears can also be poisoned by a small amount of oil on their fur. The transportation, and operation of oil facilities can negatively affect the bears. If there is a major oil spill it can have population wide consequences on the bears because there is still no effective methods to cleaning and controlling oil spills in icy arctic waters.
Polar bears aren't very affected by people but not from hunting but from the way people treat the environment. Humans have taken the environment for granted causing the greenhouse effect which is created from the burning of coal, oil, and gas which warms the earth and melts the snow and ice polar bears survive on.
All of these threats have a major impact on the migratory pattern of the polar bear especially climate change.
-In southern portions of their range for example Hudson Bay, Canada, there is no sea ice during the summer so the bears have to live on the land until fall when the Bay freezes, where they can hunt again on the ice. During the summer on land the bears eat very little to no food. In just 20 years the ice-free period in Hudson Bay has increased by an average of 20 days, cutting the bears hunting season short. The ice is freezing later in the fall, but the ice melting earlier in the spring is more difficult for the bears, this gives them less time to hunt during the critical season when seal pups are born. This has caused the average bear weight to drop by 15 percent, reproduction rates to decline, and now the Hudson Bay population is down more than 20 percent.
-The less ice has caused more problems beyond habitat loss. The remaining ice is farther from shore making it harder to get to. The larger gap of open water between land and ice causes rougher wave conditions making the bears swim more dangerous. Biologists are blaming the high number of polar bear drownings on the retreating ice and rougher seas.
-The shrinking polar ice cap will also cause a decline in the polar bears prey the seal. This means polar bears are going to have less food and go hungrier longer.
People can help save the polar bears by reducing their carbon foot print. Its not to late to reduce gas emissions to save the polar bears habitat. People can do their part by recycling, using public transportation, walking, and driving the most fuel-efficient cars. You can help spread the word to other people in your community so you can all work together to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. People can also vote for political representatives that will create laws to help better the environment.
-Polar bears rely on sea ice so that they can hunt and store energy for the summer and autumn when there is less food. Since the ice is melting earlier and forming later polar bears are going longer periods without food so that their health declines which can lead to lower reproduction rates and local extinction.
-Being one of the top predators Polar bears are exposed to the high levels of toxins found in the Arctic food chain. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is a wide range of poisonous substances that are mostly banned but are still sometimes used and stay in the environment for years. Inadequate screening systems is causing new chemicals to show up in the Arctic for example heat resistant chemicals (PCBs), industrial by-products such as dioxins and furans, pesticides like DDT, dieldrin and lindane. Bears with high levels of POPs have low levels of thyroid hormones, vitamin A, and some antibodies which are important for things like growth, the ability to fight off diseases and reproduction. In some places the mother bears milk has these chemicals which causes them to poison their cubs which leads to lower survival rates. Scientists also believe that the 1.5% of polar bears sampled on Svalbard in recent years with partially-developed male sexual organs- Pseudohermaphrodites may be the result of long range pollutants.
The growing oil and gas business in the arctic causes a huge threat to the polar bears. Contact with oil spills can reduce the insulating effect of the bears fur which means the bear needs to use more energy to stay warm by increasing its calorie intake which is not always easy. The polar bears can ingest the oil from prey which can cause liver and kidney damage. Bears can also be poisoned by a small amount of oil on their fur. The transportation, and operation of oil facilities can negatively affect the bears. If there is a major oil spill it can have population wide consequences on the bears because there is still no effective methods to cleaning and controlling oil spills in icy arctic waters.
Polar bears aren't very affected by people but not from hunting but from the way people treat the environment. Humans have taken the environment for granted causing the greenhouse effect which is created from the burning of coal, oil, and gas which warms the earth and melts the snow and ice polar bears survive on.
All of these threats have a major impact on the migratory pattern of the polar bear especially climate change.
-In southern portions of their range for example Hudson Bay, Canada, there is no sea ice during the summer so the bears have to live on the land until fall when the Bay freezes, where they can hunt again on the ice. During the summer on land the bears eat very little to no food. In just 20 years the ice-free period in Hudson Bay has increased by an average of 20 days, cutting the bears hunting season short. The ice is freezing later in the fall, but the ice melting earlier in the spring is more difficult for the bears, this gives them less time to hunt during the critical season when seal pups are born. This has caused the average bear weight to drop by 15 percent, reproduction rates to decline, and now the Hudson Bay population is down more than 20 percent.
-The less ice has caused more problems beyond habitat loss. The remaining ice is farther from shore making it harder to get to. The larger gap of open water between land and ice causes rougher wave conditions making the bears swim more dangerous. Biologists are blaming the high number of polar bear drownings on the retreating ice and rougher seas.
-The shrinking polar ice cap will also cause a decline in the polar bears prey the seal. This means polar bears are going to have less food and go hungrier longer.
People can help save the polar bears by reducing their carbon foot print. Its not to late to reduce gas emissions to save the polar bears habitat. People can do their part by recycling, using public transportation, walking, and driving the most fuel-efficient cars. You can help spread the word to other people in your community so you can all work together to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. People can also vote for political representatives that will create laws to help better the environment.