Scientists in the USA and Canada came to the conclusion that polar bears may disappear completely by 2100. The reason researchers call hunger due to destruction of habitat caused by climate change. This was reported in an article published in Nature Climate Change.
In some regions of the Arctic, polar bears are currently experiencing serious difficulties with the production of food due to the reduction of sea ice, which affects the ability of predators to hunt seals. Hunger-induced reduction of body weight reduces the chances of bears survival in the Arctic winter with a shortage of food. According to scientists, sea ice each year is starting to form later and disappear sooner, which increases the hungry period.
The Arctic is warming two times faster than the rest of the planet, so the ecosystem here under considerable pressure from climate change. The researchers showed that 12 of the 13 studied populations of polar bears will be completely destroyed in 80 years. The birth of the cubs will not be possible everywhere in the Arctic, with the possible exception of the island of Queen Elizabeth.
The most pessimistic scenario is realized when heating of the Land for an additional 3.3 degrees Celsius. However, if you limit the temperature increase to only 2.4 degrees Celsius extinction of polar bears cannot be avoided.
