Annotated Bibliography
Derocher, Andrew E., Nicholas J. Lunn, and Ian Stirling. "Polar Bears in a Warming Climate1." Integrative and Comparative Biology 44.2 (2004): 163-76. ProQuest. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
The scholarly article, “Polar Bears in a Warming Climate,” uses the scenarios predicted by climate change models to explore the progressing sea ice changes in the Artic and assess the changes that will lead to dramatic shifts in trophic interactions between polar bears and their main pray: seals. The article argues that all polar bears show behavioral plasticity but given the rapid pace of ecological change in the Arctic, the long generation time, and the highly specialized nature of polar bears, it is unlikely that polar bears will survive …show more content…
Iversen’s research study explored the diet of polar bears in coastal areas in the Svalbard Archipelago during the spring seasons between 2003 and 2010. The research scientists studied the frequency of occurrence of food items in 119 polar bear scats samples. The results showed ringed seals occurred in 62.2 % of the scat samples examined. Various terrestrial plants and marine algae also occurred frequently in the scats. I found this source to be incredibly helpful in understanding different methodologies to conducted research. For example, Iversen’s study tested the genetics in the fecal samples, which gave a precise itemization of nutrients consumed and digested by each polar bear tested, giving rise to a more accurate description of a polar bear’s diet. Using only observational studies of polar bear predation behavior, as seen in Rockwell and Gormezano’s research study (below), constricts results to only a generalized idea of the polar bear’s diet and can’t provide the same absolute results of food digested. The approach of Iversen’s study provides an important tool for my own study on monitoring the responses of polar bears to ongoing ecosystem changes that will result from continued warming in the …show more content…
The scientists argue that the polar bears’ lost opportunity to hunt seals is causing them to eat snow goose eggs in order to make up for their energy shortfall. The study collected data through surveying snow goose nesting areas via helicopters in Manitoba, Canada. A significant amount of sightings of polar bears eating snow goose eggs within the nesting areas were recorded. This source applies to my own research on how polar bears are using behavioral plasticity in order to keep up with their warming environment. Rockwell’s and Gormezano’s findings suggest that while the energy input from other sources—such as snow goose eggs–may reduce or delay the immediate impact of climate change on polar bears, it is simply not enough in order to sustain the large mammals. My research will continue the study on the polar bear’s diet and expand the methods of collecting such data using microscopic and genetic
Derocher, Andrew E., Nicholas J. Lunn, and Ian Stirling. "Polar Bears in a Warming Climate1." Integrative and Comparative Biology 44.2 (2004): 163-76. ProQuest. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
The scholarly article, “Polar Bears in a Warming Climate,” uses the scenarios predicted by climate change models to explore the progressing sea ice changes in the Artic and assess the changes that will lead to dramatic shifts in trophic interactions between polar bears and their main pray: seals. The article argues that all polar bears show behavioral plasticity but given the rapid pace of ecological change in the Arctic, the long generation time, and the highly specialized nature of polar bears, it is unlikely that polar bears will survive …show more content…
Iversen’s research study explored the diet of polar bears in coastal areas in the Svalbard Archipelago during the spring seasons between 2003 and 2010. The research scientists studied the frequency of occurrence of food items in 119 polar bear scats samples. The results showed ringed seals occurred in 62.2 % of the scat samples examined. Various terrestrial plants and marine algae also occurred frequently in the scats. I found this source to be incredibly helpful in understanding different methodologies to conducted research. For example, Iversen’s study tested the genetics in the fecal samples, which gave a precise itemization of nutrients consumed and digested by each polar bear tested, giving rise to a more accurate description of a polar bear’s diet. Using only observational studies of polar bear predation behavior, as seen in Rockwell and Gormezano’s research study (below), constricts results to only a generalized idea of the polar bear’s diet and can’t provide the same absolute results of food digested. The approach of Iversen’s study provides an important tool for my own study on monitoring the responses of polar bears to ongoing ecosystem changes that will result from continued warming in the …show more content…
The scientists argue that the polar bears’ lost opportunity to hunt seals is causing them to eat snow goose eggs in order to make up for their energy shortfall. The study collected data through surveying snow goose nesting areas via helicopters in Manitoba, Canada. A significant amount of sightings of polar bears eating snow goose eggs within the nesting areas were recorded. This source applies to my own research on how polar bears are using behavioral plasticity in order to keep up with their warming environment. Rockwell’s and Gormezano’s findings suggest that while the energy input from other sources—such as snow goose eggs–may reduce or delay the immediate impact of climate change on polar bears, it is simply not enough in order to sustain the large mammals. My research will continue the study on the polar bear’s diet and expand the methods of collecting such data using microscopic and genetic