Global warming had a great effect on climate change which leads to the risk of polar bears survival. The article “Polar Bears Across the Arctic Face Shorter Sea Ice Season” talks about the temperature rise and how it has caused ice sheets to melt, it has also caused a shortage of ice season. Between 1950 and 1990, Arnold reported that the temperature rise caused the sea ice season to become reduced by three weeks. This was proof of the destructive survival rate of polar bears, also known as Ursus maritimus.
Polar bears are known to have large fat reserves that allow them to store energy for the winter, they can survive without food up to 8 months. However, the shorter the winter is, the reduced amount of time they must hunt for food storage and mating. Arnold saw that polar bears were forced to come back to the shore earlier. He also noticed that they had an extreme weight loss. One of the main sources of food that Ursus maritimus had were ringed seals.
Unfortunately, they were becoming scarce in the population because of the melting ice (Arnold, 1999). This was a negative effect on polar bears because it affected their food chain, leading to starvation and a decline in population. The bears could not continuously use their fat reserves without being sure that they could recharge them.
Arnold concluded that the prevention of polar bear extinction had to start with the effect of global warming on climate changes.Question: Is there any alternative food that bears can feed on while the ringed seals are gone? The fat reserves of white bears can last a full ice season. This puts a charge on their body after these alternating seasons and then forces them to look for different sources of food (Stirling, 2006). White bears are well-known as adapted marine animals, at the top of the food chain.
Best services for writing your paper according to Trustpilot
Therefore, they are mostly dependent on seals to give their main meals (Fitzgerald,2013). Fitzgerald has noted that the sea ice is essential to polar bears because it is where they grab their main source of food. He stated that there are studies showing polar bears who have successfully captured eggs of ducks living on the nearby land.
However, they have insufficient nutrients in comparison to ringed seals. The polar bears have had circumstances where they were able to find walrus, whale or carcasses, but those occasions had unpredictable reliabilities (Fitzgerald 2013). To conclude, Fitzgerald found it impossible for most of the polar bears to switch to a different species for food satisfaction. They have been adapted to the sea ice for so long that it has left them severely affected by the reduction of ringed seals.
Stirling then predicted that climate change would persuade food stress, which can cause traction between humans and polar bears. The article emphasizes the effect of shorter ice season on the survival of Ursus maritmus. It mostly talks about the heavyweight loss they experience due to the deduction of ringed seals, which are their main source of food. It does not mention any alternative food that bears can depend on. However, from recent primary literature, it is reported that polar bears have eaten duck eggs, whales, walrus, and carcasses. Yet, they are not enough to satisfy their diet (Fitzgerald, 2013). Hence, the message of the article still stands in which there is no alternative food source that can sustain a polar bears diet and allow them to survive throughout the year. They are still in danger of facing weight loss due to loss of food.
The difference in the climate change today affects the length of the season which has led to endangered polar bears, they are relying on the build-up of fat and are hunting for food dreadfully (Arnold, 1999). The bears have faced weight loss and food stress due to the disappearance of ringed seals, their main food source. This affects their survival rate severely.
Fitzgerald concludes that the polar bear is too reliant on ringed seals and that there’s no other food source that could support their diet.
