2008
DOI: 10.1890/07-1050.1
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Polar Bear Diets and Arctic Marine Food Webs: Insights From Fatty Acid Analysis

Abstract: Abstract. We used quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) to examine the diets of 1738 individual polar bears (Ursus maritimus) sampled across the Canadian Arctic over a 30-year span. Polar bear foraging varied over large and small spatial and temporal scales, and between demographic groups. Diets in every subpopulation were dominated by ringed seals (Phoca hispida) and, in the eastern Arctic, secondarily by harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandica). Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) were an importan… Show more

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Cited by 306 publications
(339 citation statements)
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References 112 publications
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“…However, subadults may be more likely to obtain food via scavenging. Previous studies suggest that polar bears do not always consume the entirety of their kills (Stirling & McEwan, 1975) which may be likely when prey are large, such as bearded seals which are more commonly preyed upon by adult males (Cherry, Derocher, Hobson, Stirling, & Thiemann, 2011;Thiemann, Iverson, & Stirling, 2008) and when foraging occurs simultaneous to mating (i.e., males may leave prey to pursue mates) as it does in the spring. Compared to subadults, adult females may scavenge less from adult males as a result of habitat segregation (Ferguson, Taylor, & Messier, 1997) to avoid infanticide or conflicts associated with mating season.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…However, subadults may be more likely to obtain food via scavenging. Previous studies suggest that polar bears do not always consume the entirety of their kills (Stirling & McEwan, 1975) which may be likely when prey are large, such as bearded seals which are more commonly preyed upon by adult males (Cherry, Derocher, Hobson, Stirling, & Thiemann, 2011;Thiemann, Iverson, & Stirling, 2008) and when foraging occurs simultaneous to mating (i.e., males may leave prey to pursue mates) as it does in the spring. Compared to subadults, adult females may scavenge less from adult males as a result of habitat segregation (Ferguson, Taylor, & Messier, 1997) to avoid infanticide or conflicts associated with mating season.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Most recently, FA signature analysis has been advanced to quantitatively estimate diets of higher predators such as seabirds and mammals (quantitative FA signature analysis, QFASA; Iverson et al 2004, 2006, Beck et al 2007, Nordstrom et al 2008, Thiemann et al 2008, Tucker et al 2009). These diet estimations have been conducted in northern temperate to Arctic ecosystems (and/or in captivity) using a small (3 to 9) to relatively moderate (≀ 28) number of prey types.…”
Section: Open Pen Access Ccessmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The main reason is the loss of the platform needed for hunting ice-associated prey (Stirling & Archibald 1977;Smith 1980;Derocher et al 2002;Thiemann et al 2008). Sea ice is also a platform for mating and travelling to and from terrestrial maternity denning areas Derocher et al 2011).…”
Section: Space Use and Sea-ice Changementioning
confidence: 99%