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Polar bear mothers will have a harder time carrying cubs to term as Arctic sea ice dwindles, a new study said, and the US government recognised that Pacific walruses need protection in their melting icy habitat.
Arctic ice reached the third-lowest level ever recorded in 2010, and was at record low levels in January. Because the Arctic is a major weather-maker for much of the Northern Hemisphere, these changes are being blamed for severe storms in some of the world's most densely populated areas.
Polar bears depend on sea ice as platforms for hunting the fatty seals that are central to their diet, and the loss of Arctic ice could push down population numbers for the species, a study in the journal Nature Communications said on Tuesday.
The study predicted that if Spring sea ice breaks up a month earlier than usual, 40 per cent to 73 per cent of pregnant polar bears could fail to bring their cubs to term; if sea ice breaks up two months earlier than usual, that projection rises to 55 per cent to 100 per cent.
Sea ice loss caused by climate change results in smaller polar bear litters, the study said. If the trend continues,'failure to reproduce could jeopardise population viability,'the study's authors wrote. The study was supported by a diverse group of environmental, scientific and academic organisations.
Polar bears are listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, and their icy habitat has been designated as critical, which offers further protections. However, conservationists fear that continued global warming could accelerate the loss of Arctic sea ice, putting polar bears under increased environmental pressure.
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