Arctic Circle

Many people think polar bears and black bears are the same but that is not true. Polar bears and black bears have many differences and some similarities. A polar bears weight is about 330 to 1500 pounds and a black bear can weigh 90 to 600 pounds. Their height is also different, a polar bear can be from 7 to 8.4 feet and a black bear can be 5 to 6 feet. Polar bears are found in circumpolar north in areas where they hunt their prey and black bears live in North America in the forest. Polar bears…

Ever since I was four years old, I have read books watched movies, and have heard out the breathtaking experiences in Alaska. Though I haven't been there, I know everything there is to know about this astonishing state. Polar bears and penguins, are some of the many animals I would dies to study and see up close. Their behavior and adaptations are unlike anything ever seen in this common state we know as home. The climate is like no other, except maybe Antarctica, the snow and ice surrounding…

Sea Levels Rising Hurting Our Animals Polar bears are on the threatened species list because of global warming and sea levels rising. Millions of species aquatic and land animals are dying. Most under the sea ecosystems are severely affected by global warming which causes sea levels rising. For example, mangrove ecosystems require constant sea levels to survive. Sea levels are rising and affecting polar bears, sea turtles, and coral reefs. Polar bears are in jeopardy, becoming extinct…

live on is melting due to global warming. The population will continue to drop so long as we don’t do anything about it, and soon, no one will get to see the snow white bear. In 2012, about 1.32 million square miles, which is right around 24%, of the Arctic Ocean was froze over. That is low considering that it dropped about 3% since 2007. The heat will continue to increase causing the ice to melt completely. What would happen if all the ice would melt? First, as the ice melted, the sea levels…

mainly ringed and bearded seals located on the border of the Canadian arctic. Those seals are killed by polar bears during breathing holes depending on the availability of seals in the ecological niche (Stirling and Archibald 1977). However, arctic foxes and polar bears compete for the adults’ seals and the competition for food increase between them. It is not clear whether the polar bears feed with seals or are hunt by arctic foxes. If seals are not available, polar bears feed…

According to the 2014 Arctic Report Card, there have been significant changes in sea ice extent. Specifically, the report addresses the slow but significant seasonal decline in sea ice cover. Arctic sea ice is of utmost importance for ecosystems to thrive. Post et al. (2013) discuss this further, stating “the sea-ice biome influences the abundance, distribution, seasonality, and interactions of marine and terrestrial species.” This is especially true for polar bear populations in the Arctic, as…

process to the south as an alternative to the cold weather. High levels of migration and emigration have led to continued depreciation of the existent population in the region (Whitney, 2002). Biotic Factors Arctic Fox: Alopex lagopus The Arctic fox resides in the far north areas of the Arctic tundra. During the winter season, the fur of the fox is white while during the summer the fur turns to a grayish brown color to camouflage the fox. Additionally the fox has a long bushy tail that aids it…

Nikki Anderson GRIZZLY BEAR Ursus arctos horribilis Habitat- Grizzly bears are found in many different habitats, from dense forests to subalpine meadows, open plains and arctic tundra. In North America, grizzly bears are found in western Canada, Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and a potentially a small population in Washington. Historically, they could be found from Alaska to Mexico and from California to Ohio. The grizzly bear was once…

Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bears are found on the continents of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Common characteristics of modern bears include large bodies with…

For many years people believed that the Polar Bear would be the first species that goes extinct due to climate change, however that may not be the case. The American Pika lives in the rocky mountain areas surrounding both the U.S and Canada. This distant cousin of the rabbit lives at elevations between 8,000 and 13,000 feet, and it makes its home in rock piles and slides. The reason why this creature suffers so much due to climate change is that of how they originally adapted to their…