Stability of space use in Svalbard coastal female polar bears: intra-individual variability and influence of kinship

Brun, Clément; Blanchet, Marie‐Anne; Ims, Rolf A.; Aars, Jon

doi:10.33265/polar.v40.5355

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…But loss of denning areas does present a form of habitat fragmentation that might result in reduced connectivity across the population if it persists over a longer period. This is supported by the exhibited high degree of site fidelity in Barents Sea polar bears in terms of denning areas as well as year-round area use, which is even visible across generations (Zeyl et al 2009;Lone et al 2013;Brun et al 2021), and a recent increased genetic structure between different areas within Svalbard that best may be explained by less gene flow from the bears living offshore (Maduna et al 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Shifting polar bear Ursus maritimus denning habitat availability in the European Arctic

Merkel

Aars

2022

Polar Biol

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Climate warming has resulted in extensive sea ice loss across the Arctic. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) rely on sea ice for hunting, resting, travelling and in some parts of the Arctic also maternity denning. In the European Arctic, polar bears rely on snow drifts on land to den and give birth. Consequently, timely arrival of sea ice around land masses during autumn is important for pregnant females to reach their denning habitat from their sea ice hunting grounds. We defined denning habitat as landforms necessary to accumulate snow to a depth sufficient for dens. We quantified availability of terrestrial denning habitat across the three European Arctic archipelagos throughout the last four (1979–2020) and the next eight decades (until 2100) using arrival of autumn sea ice around these islands. Across the study area, a clear trend was visible towards later sea ice arrival, varying up to 102 days. Female polar bears in the European Arctic now have 33% denning habitat available compared to the 1980's as many areas became inaccessible in time to start maternity denning. By the 2090's, all areas were projected to be inaccessible to pregnant bears. This decline was unequally distributed, with most reduction in Svalbard and Novaya Zemlya until 2020, whilst denning habitat availability in Franz Josef Land remained unchanged until 2020 but is predicted to become inaccessible by the end of the century. This work emphasizes the importance of the temporal dimension of sea ice dynamics for the persistence of polar bear populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Shifting polar bear Ursus maritimus denning habitat availability in the European Arctic

Merkel

Aars

2022

Polar Biol

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“…Mauritzen et al (2003) also found that habitat selection among Barents Sea bears depended on female reproductive status. Further, Brun et al (2021) identified that coastal females showed high fidelity to local areas within Svalbard, with close relatives using overlapping home ranges. Similar patterns have been shown in East Greenland (Laidre et al, 2015).…”

Section: Habitat Usementioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Satellite Telemetry Data in 21st Century Conservation of Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus)

et al. 2022

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Satellite telemetry (ST) has played a critical role in the management and conservation of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) over the last 50 years. ST data provide biological information relevant to subpopulation delineation, movements, habitat use, maternal denning, health, human-bear interactions, and accurate estimates of vital rates and abundance. Given that polar bears are distributed at low densities over vast and remote habitats, much of the information provided by ST data cannot be collected by other means. Obtaining ST data for polar bears requires chemical immobilization and application of a tracking device. Although immobilization has not been found to have negative effects beyond a several-day reduction in activity, over the last few decades opposition to immobilization and deployment of satellite-linked radio collars has resulted in a lack of current ST data in many of the 19 recognized polar bear subpopulations. Here, we review the uses of ST data for polar bears and evaluate its role in addressing 21st century conservation and management challenges, which include estimation of sustainable harvest rates, understanding the impacts of climate warming, delineating critical habitat, and assessing potential anthropogenic impacts from tourism, resource development and extraction. We found that in subpopulations where ST data have been consistently collected, information was available to estimate vital rates and subpopulation density, document the effects of sea-ice loss, and inform management related to subsistence harvest and regulatory requirements. In contrast, a lack of ST data in some subpopulations resulted in increased bias and uncertainty in ecological and demographic parameters, which has a range of negative consequences. As sea-ice loss due to climate warming continues, there is a greater need to monitor polar bear distribution, habitat use, abundance, and subpopulation connectivity. We conclude that continued collection of ST data will be critically important for polar bear management and conservation in the 21st century and that the benefits of immobilizing small numbers of individual polar bears in order to deploy ST devices significantly outweigh the risks.

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Defining biologically relevant and hierarchically nested population units to inform wildlife management

O’Donnell

Edmunds

Aldridge

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Wildlife populations are increasingly affected by natural and anthropogenic changes that negatively alter biotic and abiotic processes at multiple spatiotemporal scales and therefore require increased wildlife management and conservation efforts. However, wildlife management boundaries frequently lack biological context and mechanisms to assess demographic data across the multiple spatiotemporal scales influencing populations. To address these limitations, we developed a novel approach to define biologically relevant subpopulations of hierarchically nested population levels that could facilitate managing and conserving wildlife populations and habitats. Our approach relied on the Spatial "K"luster Analysis by Tree Edge Removal clustering algorithm, which we applied in an agglomerative manner (bottom-to-top). We modified the clustering algorithm using a workflow and population structure tiers from leastcost paths, which captured biological inferences of habitat conditions (functional connectivity), dispersal capabilities (potential connectivity), genetic information, and functional processes affecting movements. The approach uniquely included context of habitat resources (biotic and abiotic) summarized at multiple spatial scales surrounding locations with breeding site fidelity and constraint-based rules (number of sites grouped and population structure tiers). We applied our approach to greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern, across their range within the western United States. This case study produced 13 hierarchically nested population levels (akin to cluster levels, each representing a collection of subpopulations of an increasing number of breeding sites). These closely approximated population closure at finer ecological scales (smaller subpopulation extents with fewer breeding sites; cluster levels ≥2), where >92% of individual sage-grouse's time occurred within their home cluster. With available population monitoring data, our approaches can support the investigation of factors affecting population dynamics at multiple scales and assist managers with making informed, targeted, and cost-effective decisions within an adaptive management framework. Importantly, our

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Stability of space use in Svalbard coastal female polar bears: intra-individual variability and influence of kinship

Cited by 4 publications

References 68 publications

Shifting polar bear Ursus maritimus denning habitat availability in the European Arctic

Shifting polar bear Ursus maritimus denning habitat availability in the European Arctic

The Role of Satellite Telemetry Data in 21st Century Conservation of Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus)

Defining biologically relevant and hierarchically nested population units to inform wildlife management

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