1. climate changes impacts in the arctic, including
2. Sub Idea 1
3. Polar bears are a very distinguishable bear and very easy to notice among other bears. POl Polar bears are all white, very smart and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds! that is close to 800 kilograms! Male polar bears can measure up to 10 feet long! Polar bears fur are all white except for some creamy yellow fur and sometimes light brown in the summer. Male polar bears are twice the size of female polar bears! polar bears are very cuddly and can act almost like humans at times. they can dance and even do gymnastics!
4. Male polar bears can weigh up to 2,000 pounds that is close to 800 kilograms. Male polar bears can measure to nearly 10 feet long, or three meters. Male polar bears are about twice the size of female polar bears.
4.1. The polar bear or the sea/ice bear are the world's largest land predators. They can be found in the Artic, the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway. Each of these countries either banned hunting or established rules for how many polar bears could be hunted within its own boundaries. These rules help keep polar bear populations stable. Today, 25,000 to 40,000 polar bears roam the Arctic.
5. description
5.1. Polar bears are a very distinguishable bear. They are very easy to differentiate from other bear species. When you think of a polar bear, you probably think of an all white bear. Well you are correct. Polar bears typically have what we call white fur, however, polar bear fur can range from white to creamy yellow, even to light brown in the summer. http://endangeredpolarbear.com/description_of_polar_bear.htm
5.2. polar bears are very cuddly and can act almost like humans at times. they can dance and even do gymnastics!
6. threats
6.1. In a recent study done, that was released on July 6, 2009, states that not only is global warming threading the existence of polar bears, but also harmful chemicals that man is releasing into the environment. Mercury has been found in polar bear bodies. Mercury is ingested by the polar bear through other animals. It can simply start our as a small fish, then as it goes through the food chain, it becomes more and more concentrated. By the time the polar bear eats the seal, the mercury levels could have a lethal effect on the polar bear.
6.1.1. Polar bears have three main threats to them. Hunting, environmental threats and global warming.
6.1.2. Polar bears have been hunted for thousands of years. Evidence of polar bear hunting have been found in 2,500 to 3,000 year old ruins. Arctic people have hunted polar bears for food,clothing,bedding and religious purposes. people hunt polar bears for their hides and kills have increased substantially when people started hunting polar bears with snowmobiles, boats and airplanes. For the latest decades,hunting has been the greatest cause of polar bear mortality.
6.2. 1. Hunting. • Polar bears have been hunted for thousands of years. ° Evidence of human polar bear hunts have been found in 2,500 to 3,000 year-old ruins. Arctic peoples have traditionally hunted polar bears for food, clothing, bedding, and religious purposes. ° Commercial hunting of polar bears for hides began as early as the 1500s and flourished by the 1700s. ° Kills increased substantially in the 1950s and 1960s when hunters began using snowmobiles, boats, and airplanes to hunt polar bears. Public concern about these hunting methods led to an international agreement in 1973 banning the use of aircraft or large motorized boats for polar bear hunts. • For the last several decades, hunting has been the greatest known cause of polar bear mortality. ° Today, polar bears are hunted by native arctic populations primarily for food, clothing, handicrafts, and sale of skins. Polar bears are also killed in defense of people or property. ° Hunting is government-regulated in Canada, Greenland, and the United States. Hunting is currently banned in Norway and parts of Russia. 2. Environmental threats. • Climate change impacts in the Arctic, including increasing temperatures, shifts in the distribution of multi-year ice, and changes in precipitation patterns, threaten polar bear populations in a number of ways. ° Increasing temperatures are associated with a decrease in sea ice (both the amount and length of time sea ice forms). ° Since polar bears use sea ice as a platform to prey mainly on ringed and bearded seals, changes in sea ice can lead to less access to prey and an increase in malnourished or starving bears. ° Because of their strong association with the ice, ringed seal populations may also plummet due to loss of sea ice and result in even further reduction in polar bear food supplies. ° In addition, with less sea ice, female polar bears may have a more difficult time reaching traditional denning areas. • Oil spills from drilling platforms or tankers potentially threaten polar bears. ° A polar bear's fur loses its insulating properties when covered with oil. ° Oil spills could diminish or contaminate polar bear food sources. ° Scientists are trying to determine whether noise from industrial subsistence or recreational activities could disturb polar bears and deter them from important habitats. • The presence of toxic chemicals in polar bears may have long-term effects on their health and longevity. ° Toxic chemicals from worldwide industrial activities are carried to the Arctic by air currents, rivers, and oceans. ° Arctic animals in higher food chain levels concentrate greater amounts of toxic chemicals in their tissues than those below them. Because polar bears are top predators in the arctic, they are exposed to especially high levels of toxic chemicals. ° Human-made toxic chemicals such as heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and organochlorines are present in the Arctic. Arctic seals have particularly high levels of organochlorines concentrated in their blubber. Since polar bears mainly feed on seals, organochlorines become even more concentrated in the fat layer of polar bears. This potentially leads to a higher than normal mortality rate of polar bear cubs who acquire these toxins from their mother's milk. ° Scientists continue to monitor the levels of toxic chemicals in polar bears to determine their long-term effects. • Radionuclides, from nuclear waste dumping in the Russian Arctic, may have detrimental effects on polar bears, and the arctic ecosystem as a whole.
6.2.1. climate change impacts in the arctic , including increasing temperatures, threaten polar bears in a number of ways. Since polar bears use sea ice as platform to prey mainly on ringed seals and bearded seals, changes in sea ice can lead to less access to prey and an increase in starving polar bears. Ringed seals are also dying and polar bears are losing their main prey. In addition, because of less sea ice, female polar bears are finding it harder to travel to denning ereas. Oil spills are matting polar bears fur and threatening polar bears.
6.3. Polar bears live in a very specific habitat. They need the cold, snow and ice of the polar regions. That is why they are called "polar bears" and not "summer bears." Polar bears have very few natural threats in the polar region. Polar bears are on the top of the food chain and there are no other animals in the north that will threaten the polar bears. So why are the polar bears now on the threatened species list? Polar bears are not threatened because of other animals or because they are being hunted too much. Polar bears are threatened as a direct effect on how we as humans treat the earth and the environment. People have begun to take the earth for granted. They have treated it as thought it is indestructible. When if fact, the earth is destructible, and we are destroying it. Polar bears live in the arctic, and like many other places on earth, the arctic region has had scientists who are learning about what is happening to that specific region of the earth. The scientists have been doing deep core tests. This is where they drill a hole down into the ice and pull out a core of ice. In this core of ice the scientists can get very specific information about the weather, the atmosphere, and the temperature for a specific time period. These core tests can determine facts from 420,000 years. The core tests have revealed facts about the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It means that some of the carbon dioxide that used to leave the earth's atmosphere is now remaining inside the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide that is remaining on earth, also known as greenhouse gases, is raising the earth's temperature, causing the "Greenhouse Effect." Now you may wonder what all of this has to do with the polar bears. The polar bears live in a very sensitive environment. The arctic region. The arctic region is made of snow and ice. Snow and ice is what the polar bears depend on for their survival. The "Greenhouse Effect" warms the earth, and therefore, melts the precious snow and ice that the polar bears need for survival. So it is easy to deduce from this, that we, humans, are the cause of the polar bears being threatened. We are slowly killing the planet and most of us are oblivious to it. Global warming can be slowed down, the polar bears do have a chance.
6.3.1. Polar bears live in a very specific habitat. They need the cold, snow and ice of the polar regions. That is why they are called "polar bears" and not "summer bears." Polar bears have very few natural threats in the polar region. Polar bears are on the top of the food chain and there are no other animals in the north that will threaten the polar bears. So why are the polar bears now on the threatened species list? Polar bears are not threatened because of other animals or because they are being hunted too much. Polar bears are threatened as a direct effect on how we as humans treat the earth and the environment. People have begun to take the earth for granted. They have treated it as thought it is indestructible. When if fact, the earth is destructible, and we are destroying it. Polar bears live in the arctic, and like many other places on earth, the arctic region has had scientists who are learning about what is happening to that specific region of the earth. The scientists have been doing deep core tests. This is where they drill a hole down into the ice and pull out a core of ice. In this core of ice the scientists can get very specific information about the weather, the atmosphere, and the temperature for a specific time period. These core tests can determine facts from 420,000 years. The core tests have revealed facts about the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It means that some of the carbon dioxide that used to leave the earth's atmosphere is now remaining inside the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide that is remaining on earth, also known as greenhouse gases, is raising the earth's temperature, causing the "Greenhouse Effect." Now you may wonder what all of this has to do with the polar bears. The polar bears live in a very sensitive environment. The arctic region. The arctic region is made of snow and ice. Snow and ice is what the polar bears depend on for their survival. The "Greenhouse Effect" warms the earth, and therefore, melts the precious snow and ice that the polar bears need for survival. So it is easy to deduce from this, that we, humans, are the cause of the polar bears being threatened. We are slowly killing the planet and most of us are oblivious to it. Global warming can be slowed down, the polar bears do have a chance.
6.3.1.1. Thirdly, and the most common,is the green house effect, also known as global warming. The green house effect is when the carbon dioxide used to leave the earth,now it stays and is melting the ice.
7. The harsh conditions of the high altitudes, force polar bears to adapt to the their environment. Many of the adaptations seen in polar bears help to regulate body temperature, make hunting easier, and increase the efficiency of movement both in and out of the water. The polar bear's thick curved claws are important during times of feeding. They are frequently used to tear away the flesh of preyed upon organisms and to navigate through the carcasses of dead animals. The polar bear's distinct swimming abilities probably source from their joined toes (webbed feet). Their toes are joined by swimming membranes which allow for greater success in the water (Macdonald, 500). Another important characteristic of the polar bear is its water repellant fur coat (Kurt, 500). This feature allows for more efficient and less exhausting swimming. Although a seal can easily out swim a polar bear, seals are easily tricked by polar bears because their depth perception is rather poor. For example, Adrian Forsyth a researcher from Mammals of North America explains, "One polar bear was seen pretending to be an ice chuck while he stalked an adult ringed seal in open water. First observed about 230 feet from a seal resting on ice, the bear began swimming strongly toward it. Whenever the seal went underwater, the bear immediately stopped swimming and floated motionless; when the seal surfaced, the bear resumed its swim, gradually closing the distance between them. Finally, the seal surfaced right beside the bear, apparently mistaking it for floating ice. The bear killed it with a sudden lunge and a single bite."
7.1. The polar bear is one of the few all white animals our world has. The harsh conditions of high altitude force polar bears to adapt to their environment. Many of the adaptations include being able to adapt to the weather ,make hunting easier and increase the efficiency of movement in and out of the water. The polar bear's thick curved claws are important during times of feeding. They are frequently used to tear away the flesh of preyed upon organisms and to navigate through the carcasses of dead animals. The polar bear's distinct swimming abilities probably source from their joined toes (webbed feet). Another important characteristic of the polar bear is its water repellant fur coat. This feature allows for more efficient and less exhausting swimming. Although a seal can easily out swim a polar bear, seals are easily tricked by polar bears because their depth perception is rather poor. For example, Adrian Forsyth a researcher from Mammals of North America explains, "One polar bear was seen pretending to be an ice chuck while he stalked an adult ringed seal in open water. First observed about 230 feet from a seal resting on ice, the bear began swimming strongly toward it. Whenever the seal went underwater, the bear immediately stopped swimming and floated motionless; when the seal surfaced, the bear resumed its swim, gradually closing the distance between them. Finally, the seal surfaced right beside the bear, apparently mistaking it for floating ice. The bear killed it with a sudden lunge and a single bite." Only polar bears lips,feet and nose pad are black though under its fur its skin is also black.The polar bears thick white coat ,which helps it blend in with its icy environment, is thick and covers a thick fat layer. These two adaptations enable polar bears to survive harsh Arctic winters that average -30 degrees Fahrenheit. Partially webbed feet assist in swimming, which polar bears can do for long distances. Like other bears, the polar bear relies on a keen sense of smell to sniff out prey. Its large body size helps it conserve heat, while its long neck helps it view its open habitat, both while on land and while swimming. Polar bears put their sharp claws to good use when grabbing prey and loping across the slippery ice.
8. action
8.1. Goals
8.1.1. Goal 1
8.1.2. Goal 2
8.2. Rules
8.2.1. Session Rule 1
8.2.2. Session Rule 2
8.3. Define Problems
8.4. Capture Ideas
8.5. Prioritize Ideas
8.6. Define Action Points
9. food chain
9.1. Problem 1
9.2. Problem 2
10. habibat
10.1. The polar bear habitat encompass the entire circumpolar Arctic region. Polar bears have adapted to be able to live in the water and on land. Unlike other bear species, the polar bear are excellent swimmers, and have been spotted more than 100 miles away from land or ice. The polar bear habitat is that of the entire Arctic region. They can be found the cold and at times unforgiving land. Polar bears can be found swimming in the frigid oceans waters, or adrift on ice.
10.1.1. The polar bear habitat is everywhere in the vast artic region. They can be found in the frigid ocean waters or adrift on ice. The polar bears main habitat is on offshore pack ice, and along costs and island of the Arctic region. Over 40 per cent of all polar bears living today live in Northern Canada, on pack ice and along the shores of the many island there. Polar bears prefer the ice packs to other parts of their habitat because it allows them to remain in close contact with their main food source. Seals. Polar bears will remain in this ice pack habitat all year. They prefer the sea ice over all other places. When summer comes, and the polar regions warm up, the polar bears will travel many miles to remain on the ice, near their food source, seals. Any polar bears that do not stay on the ice when the ice begins to retreat will have to remain on the land, until the ice forms again in the fall. For the polar bears that's habitat happens to be in the southern most part of the polar region, in Manitoba, Canada on the Hudson Bay, find it difficult to follow the retreating ice and are forced to remain on the land. These polar bears live off fat deposits that they have gained from eating well in the winter. As with the polar bears in the northern region, when the ice pack forms again in the fall, the polar bears return to the frozen sea, to the ice packs.