Arctic Animals at Risk

Many might find it interesting how arctic animals survive in the brutally cold tundra, but with global warming becoming a bigger issue every day, the animals are continuing to adapt-but taking a turn for the worst.

In an article from the National Wildlife Federation, it is explained how global warming is causing arctic animals to adapt in negative ways, which will have a long lasting effect on the environment.

SOURCE:http://www.polarbearsinternational.org  

1. In two different scientific migration reports, it was reported that over 100 animal species living in the arctic poles migrated nearer to the poles, and thousands of other species were changing the times of their breeding and migrating weeks earlier than they did years ago.
2. Drastic changes in the seasonal timing are interfering with the only seasonal appearances of certain plant and prey species that many animals need to survive the certain harsh months.
3. A biologist says that many arctic species are drastically changing their diets and other behaviors to try and adapt to the new climate changes, but these acts are, for some species, out of desperation rather than a real adaptation.
4. With the arctic ice caps melting, ringed seals are delaying their mating season, which is causing them to give birth and care for their young during delayed time periods. This is problematic for polar bears because they now have to wait for weeks for their main meals, and are becoming very thin and weak.
5. Polar bears are adapting to their lack of prey foods by coming into human camps and towns in search of any types of foods, which is causing problems for the people living there, and for the bears themselves.
6. Some other predators, as well as a large majority of polar bears, are starting to eat duck and geese eggs due to the lack of proper diets, which is greatly interfering with the bird population and mating seasons.
7. Adult polar bears need to eat around 43-45 ringed seals to survive the harsh winters in the tundra, and now other animals are on the hunt for seals as well, an adaptation that is going to be difficult to for the species to prevent fights over food.
8. As a result of harsh global warming and seasonal migration and breeding changes, even in less cold climates, a big issue has been that tigers are attacking humans due to their lack of their main diets.
9. Most species have slower cycles in which they reproduce and therefore will not be able to adapt to their growing changes as easily as others.
10. With some species, their natural behaviors are being modified in such drastic ways that their genetic makeup has to change along with them. This is causing chromosomal changes in the genetic makeup, and will lead to future animal generations doing the same things that are going on now, posing an even greater threat.

Analysis:
I found these facts very interesting because I had no clue that they were going on. Of course, many people know global warming is a big problem now, especially to the tundra animal species, yet not many people are aware of the very specific effects on the animals, and the negative adaptations they are currently going through. I think that the issues and adaptations that I listed above are very serious problems, not only for the survival of the species but for the environment as a whole. Not all adaptations are good, and these are some examples that are quickly, not slowly, deteriorating the wildlife which we must preserve.


Example of a very thin and weak polar bear without a food source for the winter

Question for Further Research: In what ways are animals adapting that are helping the environment/other species to thrive?