Space-use strategies of female polar bears in a dynamic sea ice habitat

Mauritzen, Mette; Derocher, Andrew E.; Wiig, Øystein

doi:10.1139/cjz-79-9-1704

Cited by 41 publications

(89 citation statements)

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“…Although it is possible that polar bears also benefit from reduced infanticide (Taylor et al 1985), the mobility of COYs is probably the limiting factor for these family groups (Jonkel et al 1972). Seasonal area use by females with yearlings, females with two year olds, solitary females, and males are similar (Amstrup et al 2000;, Mauritzen et al 2001, and hence not thought to represent a major source of differences exhibited by these groups.…”

Section: Demographic Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seasonal site fidelity of polar bears has previously been reported in the spring (Schweinsburg et al 1981;1982, Lentfer 1983) and year-round (Mauritzen et al 2001). Zeyl et al (2009a showed a population structure in Svalbard in which closely related polar bears were found closer together in space than other bears, indicating restricted movements of both males and females during the mating season.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here the summer period with no sea ice is usually very short compared to that of the fjords on western Spitsbergen. Both "pelagic" and "nearshore" bears (Mauritzen et al 2001; were sampled in the field, since the areas they use overlap geographically. Pelagic bears are more likely to be captured at Hopen and Kong Karls Land (Fig.1), while nearshore bears are predominantly found closer to the larger islands.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Female bears in the Barents Sea tend to consistently use one of two strategies. "Pelagic" bears utilize large home ranges, spending most of their time on the drift ice of the Barents Sea, whereas "nearshore" bears have smaller home ranges and generally restrict their movements to some islands or fjords of the main islands of Svalbard (Mauritzen et al 2001;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During sea ice formation and ablation, most polar bears track the sea ice edge (Larsen 1986, Mauritzen et al 2001. Several studies have demonstrated that polar bears select sea ice habitat according to seasonally changing preferences (Ferguson et al 2000, Mauritzen et al 2003b, Durner et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Site fidelity of Svalbard polar bears revealed by mark-recapture positions

2012

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Section: Demographic Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Site fidelity of Svalbard polar bears revealed by mark-recapture positions

2012

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Population substructure and space use of Foxe Basin polar bears

Sahanatien

Peacock

Derocher

2015

Ecology and Evolution

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Climate change has been identified as a major driver of habitat change, particularly for sea ice-dependent species such as the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Population structure and space use of polar bears have been challenging to quantify because of their circumpolar distribution and tendency to range over large areas. Knowledge of movement patterns, home range, and habitat is needed for conservation and management. This is the first study to examine the spatial ecology of polar bears in the Foxe Basin management unit of Nunavut, Canada. Foxe Basin is in the mid-Arctic, part of the seasonal sea ice ecoregion and it is being negatively affected by climate change. Our objectives were to examine intrapopulation spatial structure, to determine movement patterns, and to consider how polar bear movements may respond to changing sea ice habitat conditions. Hierarchical and fuzzy cluster analyses were used to assess intrapopulation spatial structure of geographic position system satellite-collared female polar bears. Seasonal and annual movement metrics (home range, movement rates, time on ice) and home-range fidelity (static and dynamic overlap) were compared to examine the influence of regional sea ice on movements. The polar bears were distributed in three spatial clusters, and there were differences in the movement metrics between clusters that may reflect sea ice habitat conditions. Within the clusters, bears moved independently of each other. Annual and seasonal home-range fidelity was observed, and the bears used two movement patterns: on-ice range residency and annual migration. We predict that home-range fidelity may decline as the spatial and temporal predictability of sea ice changes. These new findings also provide baseline information for managing and monitoring this polar bear population.

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Range contraction and increasing isolation of a polar bear subpopulation in an era of sea‐ice loss

Laidre

Born

Atkinson

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Climate change is expected to result in range shifts and habitat fragmentation for many species. In the Arctic, loss of sea ice will reduce barriers to dispersal or eliminate movement corridors, resulting in increased connectivity or geographic isolation with sweeping implications for conservation. We used satellite telemetry, data from individually marked animals (research and harvest), and microsatellite genetic data to examine changes in geographic range, emigration, and interpopulation connectivity of the Baffin Bay (BB) polar bear (Ursus maritimus) subpopulation over a 25‐year period of sea‐ice loss. Satellite telemetry collected from n = 43 (1991–1995) and 38 (2009–2015) adult females revealed a significant contraction in subpopulation range size (95% bivariate normal kernel range) in most months and seasons, with the most marked reduction being a 70% decline in summer from 716,000 km2 (SE 58,000) to 211,000 km2 (SE 23,000) (p < .001). Between the 1990s and 2000s, there was a significant shift northward during the on‐ice seasons (2.6° shift in winter median latitude, 1.1° shift in spring median latitude) and a significant range contraction in the ice‐free summers. Bears in the 2000s were less likely to leave BB, with significant reductions in the numbers of bears moving into Davis Strait (DS) in winter and Lancaster Sound (LS) in summer. Harvest recoveries suggested both short and long‐term fidelity to BB remained high over both periods (83–99% of marked bears remained in BB). Genetic analyses using eight polymorphic microsatellites confirmed a previously documented differentiation between BB, DS, and LS; yet weakly differentiated BB from Kane Basin (KB) for the first time. Our results provide the first multiple lines of evidence for an increasingly geographically and functionally isolated subpopulation of polar bears in the context of long‐term sea‐ice loss. This may be indicative of future patterns for other polar bear subpopulations under climate change.

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Space-use strategies of female polar bears in a dynamic sea ice habitat

Cited by 41 publications

References 0 publications

Site fidelity of Svalbard polar bears revealed by mark-recapture positions

Site fidelity of Svalbard polar bears revealed by mark-recapture positions

Population substructure and space use of Foxe Basin polar bears

Range contraction and increasing isolation of a polar bear subpopulation in an era of sea‐ice loss

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