ECOLOGY
HUMANS AND THE BIOSPHERE
|
Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
|
|
|
It could drive polar bears to warmer climates
|
|
|
It could cause wildfires in polar bears’ habitats
|
|
|
It could cause severe weather patterns in the Arctic
|
|
|
It could melt the sea ice which would impact their food supply
|
Detailed explanation-1: -The Arctic is warming about twice as fast as the global average, causing the ice that polar bears depend on to melt away. Loss of sea ice also threatens the bear’s main prey, seals, which need the ice to raise their young.
Detailed explanation-2: -Polar bears are moving to land on the north coast of Alaska because the sea ice is melting and no longer connects to shore. This separates the bears from their preferred hunting grounds, the sea ice. With less sea ice, polar bears cannot hunt for food as often, and so they wind up with less to eat.
Detailed explanation-3: -The main reason polar bears are reliant on sea ice is that they feed on seals which inhabit ice-filled waters. The two main species are ringed seals and bearded seals. Species such as harp seals and hooded seals are also important in some areas.
Detailed explanation-4: -Animals of the ice need sea ice to survive. Across the polar food web, sea ice loss and warming seas mean massive changes for them. Some are finding their food sources disappearing, some are losing habitat, and almost all are feeling disturbances to the patterns of their lives.
Detailed explanation-5: -Food. Polar vortexes, increased heat waves, and unpredictability of weather caused by ice loss are already causing significant damage to crops on which global food systems depend.