The Polar Bear by Kylie Durekas

I just can’t even BEAR

this CLIMATE CHANGE.

#savethepolarbear

The purpose of this blog is to outline the conservation management plan created by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the endangered Polar Bear. This plan was written on January 9^th, 2017. For more information on the recovery plan, please visit https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/PBRT%20Recovery%20Plan%20Book.FINAL.signed.pdf .

http://susthingsout.com/index.php/5-memes-of-animals-that-need-protecting/

Description and Ecology of the Polar Bear

When most of us think of the Arctic, we think of a landscape that is barren, icy, and an impossible location to sustain any life form. Contrary to this belief, a place of below freezing temperatures and minimal resources creates the perfect environment for an abundant ecosystem. At the top of this food chain is the polar bear. Polar bears are scientifically known as Ursus maritimus, which translates to “bear of the sea.” They are carnivorous mammals and their diet consists largely of Ringed seals, and in some places Harp seals, Hooded seals, Walrus, and Beluga (Wiig). 

https://in.pinterest.com/explore/polar-bear-facts/?lp=true

Mary Bates is an ecology editor for the PLOS nonprofit organisation and she points out that as the ice melts, it becomes more difficult to catch their usual prey. Their current diet mostly consists of birds because they are small and easy to catch. The problem is that birds do not provide nearly as much food as seals do (Bates). 

Polar bears are considered K-selected species which means that they are established mammals that typically have smaller reproduction rates. It takes a total of 4-5 years until females are fully developed and most mating begins in April or early May. After this, it is not for another 192-265 days until the female becomes pregnant (USFW).

The pregnant bear will begin searching for a proper den to give birth in. When she gives birth, it will most likely only be two cubs. These newly born cubs rely on the fat that the mother has stored from the previous winter so that they can grow strong enough to survive on their own (Wiig).

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/polar-bears/images/35634913/title/cute-polar-bear-photo

To compensate for these low reproductive rates, their populations depend on higher survival rates. Specifically, the rates need to exceed 93% in order to proceed the growth of future generations (Regehr et al. 2015)(USFW). The polar bear’s large diets and adaptations to the arctic allow them to survive in such a cold harsh environment. They have thick coat that cover a thick layer of fat to keep warm. In addition, their black skin absorbs the warmth of the sun. The webbing between their paws allows them to be strong and fast swimmers when hunting for seals (Wigg).

Geographic and Population Changes

There are 19 subpopulations of polar bears that stretch across the 5 Arctic nations that lie in the North Pole. These regions consist of Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the United States. From the subpopulations, polar bears are broken up into

4 ecoregions. The Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, describes the population changes within these subpopulations. They conducted a study in 2014 and conclude that only “one subpopulation has increased, six were stable, three declined, and 9 were undetermined” (Wiig)(see Figure 1). From this data, we can be certain that only one out of nineteen subpopulations are increasing. It is estimated that there are approximately 26,000 polar bears left in these regions. An accurate number of total polar bears is difficult to reach because polar bears do not typically travel and packs and they live in remote locations.

http://arctic.blogs.panda.org/polarbears/polar-bears-and-the-numbers-game/

The home of the Polar Bear is slowly withering away due rising temperatures and ice melt. These mammals rely on the ice for survival in the Arctic. It allows them to travel, hunt, and raise their young. As the sea ice in the Arctic melts at increasing rates, polar bears are forced to expend more energy to hunt for food that is longer distances away. This also impacts their borrowing dens that they use to raise their young (USFW).

Listing Date and Type of Listing

The polar bear was placed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 by the United States Wildlife Service (USFW) on May 15, 2008. Putting the polar bear under the threatened species category means that it is likely to become endangered or close to extinction.

Cause of listing and Main threats to its continued existence

The primary threats to the polar bears are the effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the atmosphere. A few examples human GHG emission causes: urbanization, deforestation, burning fossil fuels (cars, electricity), agriculture (fertilizers, livestock). These GHG’s cause the warming in the Arctic that results in the ice melt.

If we can work together to aggressively reduce GHG emissions throughout the world, then we can successfully save polar bear populations and ourselves. If it does not concern you that the polar bears are going extinct, then you should be worried about how temperature rise will affect you (Towell).

                                          https://twitter.com/climatememes

So why should we care that the polar bear populations are declining, how does this affect us?

As sea ice melts and to sea level rise, many of our coastal cities will be underwater, cities that supply most of the world’s total GDP. According to scientists at the non-profit organization Climate Central, approximately 275 million people will be effected. This means losing homes and separating communities, and finally, immediate displacement (Holder et al.). Unfortunately, the only choice will be to relocate.

For more on ice melt and climate change, please watch:

At least we have that option. The polar bears rely on the sea ice to survive. As ice sheets separate, polar bear populations become more isolated. Over time, this would lead to a decrease in biodiversity and genetic variation. Another issue is that they will have less access to the resources that they need. As the ice melts, the probability of polar bears going extinct increases. It is important to acknowledge this issue and start taking action because climate change will affect polar bears, humans, and everything else. Additional threats to polar bears are described in the section “Description of Recovery Plan” below.

Description of Recovery Plan

The first and most important purpose of the recovery plan is to reduce GHG emissions to stop warming in the arctic and loss of sea ice. When climate change problems are taken care of, the focus will be shifted to settling conflicts between humans and bears, protecting their habitat for dens, and reducing oil spills that can contaminate waters. The recovery plan discussed mainly focuses on the conservation actions of the two polar bear sub-populations in the United States. Within this plan, there are 6 goals to preserve these sub-populations. They are summarized below.

6 goals to preserve sub-populations

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3pfmfd 

1.    Protect the polar bears continued

 existence as a function within its

 ecosystem

2.    Protect the genetic and biodiversity of 

      the species

3.    Preserve the ecological biodiversity

Conserve the continued existence of the

 two polar bear subpopulations in the

United States (the Southern Beaufort Sea

and Chukchi Sea subpopulations)  

4.    Understand the nutritional and cultural needs

of native people and connection to polar bear

populations for harvest

5.    Ensure safety of human-bear interactions

6.    Achieve conservation of the polar bear without

having to restrict too many economic activities

within the range

Detail on how each goal can be met

1.    Reduce anthropogenic GHG emissions

2.    Help conservation efforts that are international

3.    Manage conflictions between bears and humans

4.    Work together to increase and eventually sustain population rates

5.    Preserve den habitats

6.    Conduct in a large amount of research

What can you do?

“Great things are not done by

   impulse, but a series of

   small things brought together.”

-     Vincent Van Gogh

One of the most important thing that I learned from reading this recovery plan is that we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. This is something that will not only help preserve these polar bear populations, but also allow for fall future generations to sustain life on earth. A few simple ways that you can reduce your emissions are:

1.   Reduce, reuse, recycle

a.     The biggest problem with this is knowing what can be recycled and how to properly recycle. By following the link below, you can learn to recycle correctly.

                                               i.     http://www.wm.com/thinkgreen/what-can-i-recycle.jsp

2.   Eat less meat products

a.     The methane produced from agriculture is a huge contributor to GHG’s, even reducing consumption by one meal could make an impact, especially if everyone did this

3.   Carpool

a.   What a fun way to help save the environment! Drive with some friends just like That 70’s Show!

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/top-15-tv-theme-songs

4.   Turn off lights when you leave your house

5.   Turn off the water when brushing your teeth

6.   Consume less, save money and the environment

a.    The less products you consume, the less packaging, and the less demand, which will save you money and reduce waste

7.   Thermostat challenge!

http://blog.cincinnatizoo.org/2017/02/27/anana-the-polar-bear-wants-you-to-get-hygge-with-it/

8.   Buy local

a.    Not only are you supporting local businesses, but you are also reducing the emissions that would be needed to deliver something from a far place.

Other resources

Holder, Josh, et al. “The Three-Degree World: Cities That Will Be Drowned by Global

Warming.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 3 Nov. 2017,

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/ng-interactive/2017/nov/03/three-degree-world-cities-drowned-global-warming

Bates, Mary. “Polar Bears, Ringed Seals, and the Complex Consequences of Climate

Change.” PLOS Ecology Community, 25 Apr. 2017,

blogs.plos.org/ecology/2017/04/25/polar-bears-ringed-seals-and-the-complex-consequences-of-climate-change/.

Towell, Lisa. “A World Without Polar Bears.” PETA Prime, 15 Nov. 2010,
             https://prime.peta.org/2010/11/a-world-without-polar-bears

U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFW). 2016. Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Conservation       

Management Plan, Final. U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Region 7, Anchorage, Alaska. 104 pp.

Wiig, O., et al., 2015. Ursus maritimus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015:      
            e.T22823A14871490.
            http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T22823A14871490.en.