Global Warming Effects on Arctic Wildlife

Global warming has become an accepted threat to our way of life. As the global warming effects on Arctic wildlife show, it is already having a devastating impact on our world.

Global Warming Effects on Arctic Wildlife

Global warming is a very real problem. According to the National Academy of Sciences (in the United States), the average temperature all over the world has risen one degree Fahrenheit over the last century. This might not seem like much, but even a relatively small difference in temperature can have a great effect on the environment. A temperature increase of a only three more degrees is possible by the end of this century and could have massively devastating effects.  The global warming effects on Arctic wildlife are unique in the global warming discussion because we are seeing them now instead of in the hazy future.

Global warming, which is caused by harmful gases that are put into the atmosphere because of natural developments and human activity, has caused a real change in the environment for the animals that reside in the Arctic. It is felt that by 2026, the temperature in the Arctic could be two degrees warmer than it was in 1750. This warming can, and will, cause the death of some species of tundra vegetation, as well as melting of summer sea ice. The summer sea ice, which has already been disappearing at a rate of 9.2 percent per decade, could be completely wiped out by the end of this century if global warming continues. Think about that for a minute. There will be no ice in the Arctic!

The loss of summer sea ice will show great global warming effects on Arctic wildlife, as seals and polar bears rely on the ice.  In fact, polar bears are under great stress at the moment with only 25,000 or so left in the wild. As the Arctic warms up, ice forms for shorter periods of time. This negatively affects the bears because they hunt on the ice packs. With shorter ice pack periods, the bears have less time to feed. They have been unable to adapt their hunting activities, which has resulted in thinner bears. Cannibalism has even been seen among some polar bear groups.

The loss of the vegetation means that certain species will lose their food sources, and the loss of the ice and lower temperatures will cause forests from the south to spread northward. Additional forest space will threaten the homes of many different types of Arctic birds. Also, the loss of Arctic wildlife will pose a risk to native human Arctic dwellers, many of whom hunt the polar bear and other Arctic animals for food.

The global warming effects on Arctic wildlife will prove to be intense, affecting not just those animals that live in the Arctic area but also animals and humans around the world. As the ice melts, more fresh water is introduced to the oceans. This impacts the massive current, known as the ocean conveyor, that circles the world and regulates the temperatures in Europe. If we do nothing, temperatures will start falling as the conveyor fails and stops bringing warm water to these areas. If such a catastrophe happens, the Arctic wildlife will not be the only species in trouble.

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