Global Warming the Arctic Homes

Global Warming

The Arctic homes some of the most distinctive animals These include migratory and resident birds, the world's major fisheries, polar bears, some species of seals among others. Culturally and biologically the arctic is a unique environment and hence the continued survival of these animals. In the arctic the whole ecosystem depends on the presence of sea-ice for their survivals from the plankton that live in the sea bottom all the way up to harp seals and polar bears (Chapin, 2008) Therefore global warming will have an adverse effect on animals that depend on ice as a platform like ringed seals, walruses and polar bears since their habitat would be lost. The arctic faces major drastic changes in its climatic conditions. However the natural environment and existence of these animals is threatened due to global warming. Arctic plays a major role in the regulation of global climate due to air and water interactions in the region.

The main cause of global warming is emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. These have lead to temperature changes within the arctic and the rest of the world. This increase of temperature of air near the surface of the earth in both the land and oceans has subsequently led to the melting of polar ice caps. In addition to the melting it leads to a rise in the sea level therefore most of the species there are in a survival struggle. The melting has an effect on the ice shelves and ice floes which are the habitat of the polar bears. This has lead to an alarming increase of the drowning of polar bears. Despite the fact that polar bears are good swimmers they are still drowning due to a combination smaller ice floes and erratic climatic changes. The melting ice caps have a fatal effect on the polar bears since they are not able to hunt. Therefore the polar bears will require more effort to hunt for the similar amount of food and hence this will bring a reduction in their reproductive rates (GreenHQ.ne, 2007).The walrus are also affected since they rely on sea-ice floating near the land on which they haul out. The disappearing of the sea -- ice due to global warming has lead to the drowning of the walrus pups in the sea and the subsequent crushing of others to death die to stampedes that occur in the crowded beaches (WWF, 2012). Arctic foxes are also threatened by global warming since they rely on frozen seas for their survival during the bleak winters. Since there are fewer predators and food for the foxes is easily available for them as compared to the land. Therefore global warming poses as a challenge for their survival in the sea (Adam, 2008).

Dependant fish species like polar cod are also threatened by global warming, arctic and migratory whale species like narwhal and belunga whales, the bowhead and gray whale will also be severely affected since they normally feed along the ice edge. Global warming may also cause ice openings known as leads and polynyas that act as critical outpost for feeding, breeding and migration.