Invariant polar bear habitat selection during a period of sea ice loss.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is expected to alter many species' habitat. A species' ability to adjust to these changes is partially determined by their ability to adjust habitat selection preferences to new environmental conditions. Sea ice loss has forced polar bears (Ursus maritimus) to spend longer periods annually over less productive waters, which may be a primary driver of population declines. A negative population response to greater time spent over less productive water implies, however, that prey are not also shifting their space use in response to sea ice loss. We show that polar bear habitat selection in the Chukchi Sea has not changed between periods before and after significant sea ice loss, leading to a 75% reduction of highly selected habitat in summer. Summer was the only period with los

SUBMITTER: Wilson RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5013757 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature