2010
DOI: 10.1038/nature09653
|View full text |Cite
|
Sign up to set email alerts
|

Greenhouse gas mitigation can reduce sea-ice loss and increase polar bear persistence

Abstract: On the basis of projected losses of their essential sea-ice habitats, a United States Geological Survey research team concluded in 2007 that two-thirds of the world's polar bears (Ursus maritimus) could disappear by mid-century if business-as-usual greenhouse gas emissions continue. That projection, however, did not consider the possible benefits of greenhouse gas mitigation. A key question is whether temperature increases lead to proportional losses of sea-ice habitat, or whether sea-ice cover crosses a tippi… Show more

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...
1
1
1

Citation Types

0
106
0
1

Year Published

2012
2012
2020
2020

Publication Types

Select...
8
1

Relationship

0
9

Authors

Journals

citations
Cited by 159 publications
(111 citation statements)
references
References 26 publications
0
106
0
1
Order By: Relevance
“…Furthermore, if populations respond to ongoing directional climate change by shifting their distribution northwards to track the retreating sea ice, then the endangered Okhotsk Sea population may become increasingly isolated and vulnerable 11 . Therefore, as with other Arctic species dependent on sea ice such as polar bears 34 , measures to mitigate climate change and sea ice reduction are needed if bowhead whales are to be effectively conserved.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Furthermore, if populations respond to ongoing directional climate change by shifting their distribution northwards to track the retreating sea ice, then the endangered Okhotsk Sea population may become increasingly isolated and vulnerable 11 . Therefore, as with other Arctic species dependent on sea ice such as polar bears 34 , measures to mitigate climate change and sea ice reduction are needed if bowhead whales are to be effectively conserved.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…1), concentration 4 and thickness 8,9 in the Arctic 10 interacts with atmospheric and oceanic forcings via ice-albedo and ice-insulation feedbacks to amplify regional warming and stimulate further ice loss 4 . The main focus of ecological repercussions of projected sea ice loss has been on pagophillic species, whose dynamics have already been perturbed by diminishing sea ice cover 3,5,[11][12][13][14][15][16] . In contrast, indirect weather-mediated effects of continued ice loss on terrestrial species are less clear.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Holland et al, 2006;Lindsay and Zhang, 2005]). However, more recent model results indicate that such a tipping point is unlikely [ (Amstrup et al, 2010;Tietsche et al, 2011]). After the additional heat in the ocean is dissipated in the autumn, the sea ice can grow rapidly under the cold atmosphere, and because ice growth is fastest when ice is thin and then slows as the ice thickens through the winter, the final spring thickness of seasonal ice is only slightly thinner than normal.…”
Section: Enhanced Ice-albedo Feedbackmentioning
confidence: 99%