/data/photo/2021/10/16/6169c0c831968.jpg "Polar Bear Population Hidden in Impossible Locations, Study Explains All")
KOMPAS.com – Scientists discover population polar bears Greenland on the steep slopes around the fjords, the coves on the long and narrow coast are where they meet glacier with the ocean.
The fjord is home to bear Located on the southern edge of the Arctic Circle, the southeastern pole is sea ice-free for more than 250 years.
This place seems impossible to live in polar bear populationdue to almost no floating sea ice platforms.
It is said that these polar bears hunt on top of the broken glacial ice sheet in the bay.
The findings suggest the possibility that polar bears could adapt to sea ice disappearing as climate change worsens. However, this cannot be interpreted for all species.
“Glacier ice may help small numbers of polar bears survive longer under a warming climate, but it’s not available to most polar bears,” said lead researcher Kristin Laidre, a wildlife scientist at the Center for Polar Science at the University of Washington. , Friday (17/6/2022).
Also read: Why Are There No Polar Bears in Antarctica?
Recently, scientists have identified 19 sub-populations of polar bears polar bear who live in the Arctic Circle.
One of these bear populations stretches for 3,200 kilometers on the east coast of Greenland.
However, when the researchers looked closely at this group to monitor their numbers, they realized that the bears were actually made up of two completely separate populations.
The researchers analyzed 36 years of tracking data from bears tagged with GPS necklaces, and found bears from southeastern Greenland did not cross the latitude 64 degrees north and bears from the northeast did not cross the same line in other directions.
Genetic sampling of individual bears confirms the southeastern bear is distinct from its northeastern neighbour.
“We present the first evidence for a genetically distinct and functionally isolated group of polar bears in southeastern Greenland, which meets the criteria for recognition as the world’s 20th polar bear subpopulation,” the researchers wrote in the study published in Science Journal on June 16 last.
In the new study, the researchers used genetic data to identify two polar bear individuals who could have been immigrants from the northeastern population.
Also read: Good News, Scientists Find New Healthy Polar Bear Population
Apparently, these immigrant bears have adapted very well to hunting in glacial a mélange or piece of ice that breaks up a glacier.
Experts believe the appearance of polar bears indicates other populations may be able to follow suit as sea ice conditions in other areas deteriorate.
The researchers also identified other similar locations, where glacial conditions could favor polar bears in northern Greenland and Svalbard.
For information, the population in the southeast region is filled with about 300 bears, and it is still difficult to determine the exact number.
The newly discovered group is the most genetically diverse of all 20 Arctic populations and genetic comparisons show these bears have been isolated from northeastern populations for about 200 years.
Also read: Scientists predict polar bears will become extinct at the end of this century
The polar bear has been listed as an animal that is vulnerable to extinction, by being included in the red list International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Today, there are about 36,000 bears left in the wild. However, several studies suggest the species could become extinct by the end of the century due to the effects of climate change.
Despite being the world’s largest land predator, the polar bear is actually listed as a marine mammal because it relies on a diet consisting mostly of seals.
To hunt for food, white bears rely on sea ice as a platform to stalk their prey from above, and unfortunately rising temperatures due to climate change are reducing the amount of sea ice available, shrinking their natural habitat.
The extent of sea ice increases and decreases in the Arctic, depending on the season. Ice sheets form temporarily on the sea surface during the fall and melt in the spring.
Also read: Why Are There No Polar Bears in Antarctica?
Polar bears usually survive between 100-180 days without eating as sea ice disappears during the summer.
However, warming temperatures in the Arctic mean sea ice is melting faster and freezing later, pushing polar bears to the brink of starvation.
The fjords are supposedly uninhabitable for polar bears, but the southeastern bears seem to be managing them very well.
Scientists think the bears are taking advantage of chunks of ice that break up the fjord’s glaciers and into the ocean.
It is likely that bears use the fresh ice sheet in the same way that they use sea ice for hunting, allowing them to forage on their own during long periods when sea ice is not present in the region.
Also read: Emergency, Invasion of 50 Polar Bears Enters Russia
“This suggests that ocean-ending glaciers may serve as previously unrecognized climate protection,” the researchers wrote.
In addition, the southeastern population is also not close to human life and is believed to be too difficult for most hunters to reach, adding to the safety of the bears.
However, the steep slopes of the fjord can be very difficult for polar bears to traverse, which can limit their movement.
While the study provides a glimmer of hope for some polar bears, researchers insist it doesn’t make climate change a threat to Arctic predators.
“Arctic sea ice loss is still a major threat to all polar bears. This study doesn’t change that,” Laidre said.
“Sea ice will continue to decline in the Arctic, which will reduce the chances of survival for most polar bears,” he concluded.
Also read: Polar Bears Famine Disaster Due to Global Warming
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