Grizzly Bears in North America
Introduction
The Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) has long been considered to be the symbol of the wild. They are beautiful, powerful and at the same time vulnerable animals. They are known to survive in remote areas not inhabited by humans. The Grizzly was once able to occupy most of the land from northern Mexico to Alaska and most places in between. With a disappearing natural habitat and one of the lowest reproduction rate of any mammal in North America the Grizzly bear has seen population number fall dramatically. Most Grizzly bears left in the continental United States are located in four states near Yellowstone National Park. Canada has Grizzly populations in five provinces. The state of Alaska has the largest population of these amazing animals. With change in habitat due to human involvement and low reproduction rates, Grizzly bears have had a hard time sustaining population numbers. This has caused them to virtually become non-existent in certain areas of North America and is forcing the bears that are left to move to more sufficient areas that can sustain their populations.
Classification
Grizzly bears are classified using a taxonomic hierarchy as are most living things in this world. The classified is by this hierarchy class, order, family, genus, species, and subspecies. The classification of the bears is as follows: Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae, Ursus, and Arctos. The Mammalia class includes warm blooded animals with hair to regulate body temperature. The Carnivora class includes animals that eat meat and have large sharp teeth. Ursidae is a small group of 8 species which are all bears. Ursus Arctos is the scientific name for the brown bear of North America.
Appearance
The Grizzly...
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...naturescience/bearrecovery.htm -yellowstone pops (good introduction)
8. http://www.bearbiology.com/fileadmin/tpl/Downloads/URSUS/Vol_9/Banci_Demarchi_Archibald_Vol_9.pdf - population and good map of north America
9. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/grzzlybear.pdf -Population Location
10. http://animals.pawnation.com/many-grizzly-bears-there-america-1733.html - what states found in
11. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/bears-of-the-last-frontier/hour-one-city-of-bears/brown-bear-fact-sheet/6522/ - range in America
12. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/grzzlybear.pdf - Alaska population and Canadian population
13. http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/grizzlyup.htm - GYA population numbers
14. http://visityellowstonenationalparkyall.weebly.com/ - biome habitat
15. http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/ - conservation/protection
Now even though these bears help the environment so will other bears. The Grizzlies are just another species of the many species of bears why are these bears more important than other bears. As we find from the GNWT: “Grizzly Bears in the NWT occur primarily in open alpine or tundra habitats, but they can also be found in forested areas. They have large home ranges relative to most other bear species. On average, a male’s range can exte...
In Alaska there are 3 main types of bears. They are brown bears, black bears, and polar bears.
Although they are now rare, grizzly bears inhabit the dense forest of Montana’s Rocky Mountains. Grizzlies grow as tall as eight feet and can weigh up than 1,000 pounds, yet they can move as fast as a horse. There are six national grizzly recovery zones, and three are in Montana. They are Cabinet-Yaak, Northern Continental Divided, and Yellowstone (Av2 books).
The grizzly bear trophy hunt is an issue regarding the citizens of Canada who immorally hunt and kill grizzly bears for pride, thrill, and trophy. Many people question whether this is morally acceptable as hunters kill without a conscience. Grizzly bears are vital to Canada’s environment, as they are essential to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. As keystone species, they regulate prey, disperse seeds of plants,and aerate soil to maintain forest health. Due to the vulnerability and over-hunting of grizzly bears, Pacific Wild and many other non-profit organizations, are working to protect wildlife in British Columbia, especially the grizzly bear habitat.
Wolves have always been a symbol of the wild, free in spirit and roamers of the land. These animals are considered majestic and protectors of the wilderness. They have always roamed the western United States, although their population has fluctuated over time. Over the past 10 years wolf reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park has been a controversial topic to those of the United States. As of 1995, wolves have been reintroduced into the park. This has come with some strong opposition and yet has prevailed. The future of the wolf in Yellowstone park is now looking bright, although not certain since there still are those who want them banished again.
The characteristics of the grizzly bear as a top predator also make it highly vulnerable to threats. Although it is an omnivore, because it relies heavily on salmon to make it through the winter, it is vulnerable to anything that impacts on salmon runs. It needs wide-ranging habitat and is slow to reproduce. As such, grizzly bears are considered not just a key species but also an ‘umbrella species’ because the protection of their habitats will result in an ‘umbrella of protection’ for a wide range of other species. The protected areas that have been set aside in the Great Bear Rainforest are not enough to sustain healthy populations of grizzly bear so it requires additional habitat set aside from logging. Trophy hunting of grizzly bears also continues to place their population at
The habitat of the Arctic wolf is a very harsh place. The temperature must be below zero degrees. There are tundra, rolling hills, glacier valleys, ice fields, shallow lakes, and green flatlands (Arctic/Antarctic: The Arctic Wolf). These snowy white creators don’t have that many places to live. Arctic wolves used to be everywhere in North America, but sadly now they are reduced to Canada, Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, and Wyoming (Arctic/Antarctic: The Arctic Wolf). Arctic wolves are one of the most dangerous types of wolves; people need to find a way to save them and their habitat before they disappear forever.
Out of an Ice Age emerged one of our most majestic creatures in the world, the polar bear. From its brown bear ancestry, the predator evolved to be a master of a harsh and unwelcoming ice kingdom. Intelligent, adaptable and fierce, the polar bear learned how to survive in a place that offers few comforts to any creature. But now that very environment is in flux. And so is the polar bear’s fate (Nature).
They can be malicious or they can be passive, but Grizzly bears are normally solitary animals. Grizzly bears as big and ferocious as they are aren't very territorial and may be seen together eating where food is abundant, like in a stream where they can catch salmon. When a mother grizzly has her babies she tries to keep them away from other male grizzlies because they can be dangerous to the cubs and try to kill them. When they do venture close though the mother bear might fight back to protect her cubs, ( even considering the big size difference the males and females have). Grizzly bears will do pretty much everything to protect her cub against all of the dangers in this world, fighting back against everything that dares step close to her cubs. Well that’s all for this blog post see you next time on blog posters
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the brown bear is located all throughout Alaska, mostly in areas that allow them to seasonally hunt salmon (Alaska Fish & Game, 2010). This allows them to become larger and live in higher concentrations than the grizzly bear. The traditional brown bear and the grizzly bear are actually both classified as brown bears, despite having several differences in appearance. Brown bears are one of the most fascinating and powerful species in the Alaskan wilderness. Cubs are usually born during January or February, usually in groups of one to four (Alaska Fish & Game). A fully grown, male brown bear can weigh up for 1,500 pounds and be over 10 feet in stature (Alaska Fish & Game, 2010). Brown bears also have the ability to run at speeds up to 40 mph for short bursts of time (Alaska Fish & Game). All of these unique characteristics make many people upset that it is legal to hunt them. There are several groups that are working to conserve the brown bear population, particularly in Alaska, such as The Northern Forum’s Brown Bear Working Group (Fish & Wildlife Journal, 2010). The bear population in Alaska is thriving and is classified as a status of least concern, by the IUCN Red List (IUCN, 2010). Overall, the brown bear population faces no danger whatsoever.
For years, we have heard of the devastating effects of global warming and how the melting of the polar ice caps will cause severe climate changes. One animal that has suffered most from global warming is the polar bear. Global warming has caused the polar bear population to decrease due to the results of having to swim longer distances, loss of habitat, and lack of mates to reproduce offspring. Global warming has caused this species to become endangered and has some attention with social media. Global warming has caused much damage to the polar bear population due to the warming of their habitat.
National Parks are the cornerstone of every country because it preserves the rich cultural and natural resources of a nation, such as Yellowstone in the United States of America. Yellowstone National Park is the World’s First National Park which brings millions of attraction each year, it is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combine and have over a thousand species of plants and animal (Yellowstone Media). However, a very important type of species has been missing in Yellowstone National Park for a very long time. Wolves, which got reintroduce back into Yellowstone National Park, should stay there because without them the ecosystem would be out of balance.
The controversy over logging, and more specifically clearcutting, is not a new issue in America. Ever since the 1920's and 1930's, when this nation started to become conscious of conservation, citizens have weighed the consequences of logging. Critics have questioned whether the increase in jobs, tax dollars, and economic growth was worth the destruction of forest lands. Regardless of what they believe today, the logging industry had become so efficient that by the late 1980's nearly 100,000 acres of federal land had been clearcut since the industry began. Logging technology has advanced rapidly in terms of speed, to meet the increasing demands for lumber, paper, and other products derived from trees. This in turn has greatly impacted the environment by severely degrading watersheds, leading to increased soil erosion, the diminution in the quality of drinking water, and the decline of fish stocks, among many other consequences. In this essay I will examine the progression of logging equipment throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and discuss how these changes in technology have not only changed the relationship of those who work in the industry, but also haw this has changed the wider relationship of society and nature.
The Panda Bear Scientific name is Ailuropoda Melanoleuca. 2. Scientific classification Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordate Class Mammalia Order Carnivore Suborder Caniformia Family Ursidae Genus Ailuropoda Species A.melanoleuca 3. What is a Panda?
Species are decreasing and becoming extinct over time due to climate warming. Animals and plants have developed and diversified from earlier forms to become more complex organisms. Not only have living organisms changed, but so has the Earth. Over time, the world itself has changed drastically, not just the climate but the way it looks as well. The ice on the arctic is melting, causing oceans to become more acidic, oceans became deserts and pollution from our everyday lives are affecting the ozone. It all adds up and changes the world negatively. When the world changes, so do the animals within it. Climate warming has been a big part of the change we see in the population of different species. The speed of climate change is excelling, which