Bear

Ecological Roles of Bears

Nitrogen Transfer & Soil Disturbance

"In British Columbia, grizzly bears feed on adult salmon when they return to their original rivers and streams to reproduce. Pacific salmon play an important role in the transfer of nutrients and energy from the marine to terrestrial environment [10][11]. Grizzly bears facilitate this by dragging salmon carcasses up from the river onto the land where they are consumed by the bears themselves and other terrestrial predators inserting an energy source into the terrestrial food web. As well the salmon carcasses decompose on the land, releasing nutrients (specifically high levels nitrogen) into the surrounding soils. These nutrients are necessary for productive soils that encourage plant growth, in turn facilitating high biodiversity. As well, as grizzly bears scavenge for roots and tubers in the fall they dig and turn up the soil. Homogenized soil is a major factor in unproductive land, thus turning up the soil increases productivity of the land, in the same manner that farmers will regularly till their soil. Increasing the productivity of the soil thus again increases vegetative biomass and facilitates plants biodiversity, which supports further animal biodiversity of both herbivores and predators." - University of British Colombia

Prey Regulation

Apex predators such as bears have strong top-down effects on their direct prey and associated species, so much so that their removal causes a trophic cascade. "Bears and wolves are the main large predators in the north-west ecosystem, and strongly regulate moose populations [8]. Without the regulation of bears and wolves, moose populations would boom and decimate the local vegetation, rapidly decreasing biodiversity and food sources for other herbivores, affecting the entire ecosystem. Besides from herbivore booms, loss of large predators can cause changes in prey behaviour and changes in the diets/behaviour of smaller meso-carnivores in the region [8]. Grizzly bears consume mammals, fish, invertebrates, and plants, thus their ecological effects extend to all areas of the British Columbian ecosystem, including both terrestrial and aquatic realms." - University of British Colombia

Seed Dispersal

"Grizzly bears are omnivores and consume both meat and vegetation. Bears will hunt animals, which provide a higher energy pay-off, when available or populations are high enough that they are energetically efficient to hunt, mainly in the summer. In the fall they typically dig for roots [7] and in the spring they scavenge for ripening fruits and berries [9]. Bears are part of a symbiotic relationship with the plants they eat in the spring, as they gain energy and nutrients from eating the fruit and then disperse seeds for the plants [7]. Specifically, grizzly bears have been recorded to be important seed dispersers for blueberries and buffalo berries, although they perform this important function for a wide variety of plant species. When bears disperse seeds after ingestion they release them in their feces, which provides a nutrient rich environment from which they grow. Thus grizzly bears play an important role not only in seed dispersal but also in creating an optimal environment for seed germination. This encourages plant growth and dispersal, which increases biodiversity and vegetation biomass for other herbivore’s consumption." - University of British Colombia

Threats to Bears

Human vs Wildlife Conflicts

Hunting

Hunting is still allowed, despite the scientific community warning about the consequences, and many countries already facing ecological decline because of bear's dwindling numbers or full extermination. In some countries bears are eaten, and even turned into sausages. In places like Asia they are kept in tiny cages and milked for their bile, a process that opens them up to deadly infections.

Feeding/Littering/Improperly Stored Food or Trash 

This teaches bears to associate humans and our communities or camping areas with free food which can lead to deadly conflicts over time.

Habitat Destruction

Farming

We use almost half of Earth's habitable space for farming, and 77% of that land is used for livestock. When farmers feel their animals are threatened by predators like bears, they or the government often use deadly force to reduce conflict, despite scientific evidence showing that deadly control actually backfires, causing worse and more expensive problems over time.

Logging

Globally, land clearing for cattle is the #1 cause of deforestation, driving 5 times more deforestation for beef than any other industry. The 2 next greatest drivers are soy and palm, which are both major livestock feed ingredients (with growing markets), and the 4th greatest driver is the wood and pulp industry. In Canada, the USA's demand for toilet paper is driving deforestation of ancient Boreal forests.

Logging and land clearing not only destroys habitat in which bears and their prey shelter, but the very foods like berries that bears plus their prey rely on.

Habitat Fragmentation

Highways or freeways bisect bear habitat, reducing their genetic diversity. Solutions such as bear-friendly wildlife crossings will help both bears and other species improve their genetic variation, as well as reduce human/animal mortality rates along major roads.

Calls to Action

Level 1-3

Level 3-4

Protection, Management, & Targets for Bears Conservation

In the Cross Hairs: The Road to Recovery for Alberta's Threatened Grizzly Bears

Rewilding & Reintroductions

North America

USA


Bears by Location

Asia

Taiwan

North America

South America

For Educators

Asia

Taiwan / 台灣

North America

Canada

Maps

International

North America

USA

Texas

Organizations

International

Asia

We do everything we can to provide as natural and interesting an environment as possible where they can climb trees, swim in pools or simply lie on the grass in the sun.

Cambodia / កម្ពុជា។

India / भारत

Laos / ປະເທດລາວ

Taiwan / 台湾

Taiwan Black Bears Conservation Association/台灣黑熊保協會 "這是專為台灣黑熊請命和保育而成立的民間非營利組織,希望積極凝聚各界保育的力量和熱情,以實際行動來幫助台灣黑熊。


我們期盼不僅能夠實質保護台灣美好的山林環境,為野生動物保有永續生存的空間, 也期望這些豐富的自然資源能夠細水長流,留給島上的下一代以及來自其他地方的世界公民所共享。"

Vietnam

Europe

Italy

Greece

Romania

North America

Canada

USA

Alaska

South America

Colombia

Ecuador

Peru

Grants & Funding

International

North America

USA

Texas