Scientists found that global warming has a positive effect on grizzly whereas females gain more weight making them in good condition for reproduction.
Grizzly bears are a subspecies of the Brown Bear often found in Northern America. Sometimes called the "silvertip" because of their silver tipped fur, they can produce up to four offspring.
"We get clues about the environments that most suit grizzlies by examining basic health measures such as body size. A simple rule is, the fatter the bear, the better. Certain environments promote fatter bears," said lead author and biologist Scott Nielsen from the University of Alberta in a press release.
The Canadian scientists observed 112 grizzlies from the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada for 10 years. They discovered that the bears were able to accumulate increased body fat because of the warm temperature brought by global warming and better food resources brought about by disturbances within the woods.
The research stated that these conditions - warm surroundings, less snowy winters, and earlier spring weather - aid in the bears' growth into more powerful and massive adults. On the other hand, in colder weather where food resources are limited, smaller bears are found.
They examined the variations in the size of the bears to understand the population of the grizzly bears and their body density limitation. Nielsen and his fellow scientists "hypothesize that warmer temperatures in this ecosystem, especially during late winter and spring, may not be such a bad thing for grizzlies. That suggests the species won't likely be limited by rising temperatures which would lengthen the growing season and the time needed to fatten prior to hibernation."
"The diversity of stand ages in the landscape has a positive influence on body condition because bears are better able to access a wide range of food sources," Nielsen concluded.
This new study gives a positive look at global warming which so far has been a major concern over the past years. Although this is a huge environmental issue, it does give an advantage for the grizzly bears living in the rocky mountains of Alberta, Canada.
