Global warming and sea-ice loss will contribute to the decline of polar bears (Ursus maritimus), said the study. All photos courtesy iStock
The creatures depend on sea-ice for capturing seals, a source of sustenance for them in the freezing temperatures of the Arctic Circle.
The study established the threshold number of days polar bears can fast before cub recruitment and / or adult survival are impacted.
Recruitment and survival impact thresholds may have already exceeded for some sub-populations, the study pointed out.
Estimating decline of sub-populations was not possible as data linking ice availability to demographic performance was unavailable.
High greenhouse gas emissions, rapidly declining reproduction and survival thresholds will endanger the continuance of all but a few high-Arctic sub-populations by 2100.
Moderate emissions are unlikely to prevent the local extinction of some sub-populations within this century, the study said.
