부산대학교 도서관

The phenology and habitat selection of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternity dens may shift over time in response to changing environmental conditions. We compared maternity den phenology and habitat characteristics using satellite telemetry data from adult female polar bears from the Baffin Bay (BB) (n = 16 dens; 2009-2015) and Kane Basin (KB) subpopulations (n = 3 dens; 2012-2015) to previously published maternity den data from 1991 to 1997 (BB n = 8 dens; KB n = 3 dens). BB maternity denning duration decreased from a mean of 194.1 days (SD = 21.0 days, n = 8) in the 1990s, to a mean of 167.1 days (SD = 27.6 days, n = 16; p = 0.017) in the 2000s. Delayed den entry accounted for shorter denning durations (1990s entry date [Formula omitted] = 7 September; 2000s entry date [Formula omitted] = 5 October; p = 0.018). For dens habitat characteristics of which could be measured, BB maternity dens in the 2000s occurred at higher elevations ( [Formula omitted] = 707.0 m, SD = 284.9 m, n = 15; p = 0.003) and greater slopes ( [Formula omitted] = 23.1°, SD = 7.4°; p = 0.003) than the 1990s (elevation [Formula omitted] ± SD = 351.3 ± 194.5 m, n = 8; slope [Formula omitted] ± SD = 11.9 ± 6.4°). Aspect also significantly differed between the 1990s ( [Formula omitted] = 51.3°) and 2000s BB maternity dens ( [Formula omitted] = 199.7°; Watson's U.sup.2p = 0.042). KB dens were not statistically compared due to low sample size (n = 3 dens in both periods). Shifts in sea ice phenology and snow availability may explain the observed changes.
Author(s): Erica Escajeda [sup.1], Kristin L. Laidre [sup.2], Erik W. Born [sup.3], Øystein Wiig [sup.4], Stephen Atkinson [sup.5], Markus Dyck [sup.6], Steven H. Ferguson [sup.7], Nicholas J. Lunn [sup.8] Author [...]