Polar Bears as a Food Source for Arctic Species
Polar bears provide millions of kilograms of food for other Arctic species, according to a new study.
Scavengers could lose an important food source as polar bear populations decline. A polar bear typically leaves about 30 percent of its edible prey remains.
In a single year, one polar bear can leave roughly 300 kilograms of prey for other animals to dine on. Altogether, the carnivores provide 7.6 million kilograms of carrion for scavengers throughout the Arctic, researchers estimate.
The findings highlight the crucial role these apex predators play in feeding a vast array of species.
The study, reported October 28 in Oikos, hints at the way that food web might be shaken as climate change warms the Arctic, endangering polar bear populations.
Author's summary: Polar bears provide crucial food for Arctic scavengers.