Polar Bear Flashcards
what bear are polar bears most closely related to?
brown bears
__% - __% of PB are found in CA
60-80
what are the 2 primary food sources for PB?
ringed seal
bearded seal
what portion of the seals do they prefer?
blubber and fat
T/F Females with cubs optimize on their preferred habitat.
why?
F - avoid bc of infanticide
female PB home range
125,100km2
where to M and F PB go during summer?
M - coast
F - further inland
methods of IDing PB
whisker prints
facial scars
virtual mark-recapture
What countries are involved in the International agreement on PB conservation? what year?
CA USA Norway Denmark USSR 1983
PB status under IUCN
Vulnerable
PB status under endangered species act
threatened
how do humans impact PB?
tourism hunting industrial activity contaminants researchers
when was the original tundra buggy built?
1980
problems associated with tourism
habituation
attraction
keeping bears out of town
what bears were most likely to respond to vehicle approaches?
Males more likely to respond - F less disturbed
how does body condition impact PB response to vehicles?
F - poorer body condition more likely to respond
M- better body condition more likely to respond
how does speed impact PB response to vehicles?
bears respond more to faster speeds
how does angle impact PB response to vehicles?
respond more to direct
what behaviours are most likely to predict their response?
body shift
tongue flick
lip smack
how can tour operators minimize respond & human induced locomotion?
approaching indirectly
going slowly
recognizing behaviour predictors
why were harvest levels increased in 2005
based on increased sightings
T/F Trophy hunting of PB is allowed everywhere
F - only CA
how do contaminants get into arctic?
ocean currents
rivers
wind
List two main contaminants in arctic. Where are they stored?
Organochlorines - Fat
Heavy metals - Skin/Muscle
