2008 Alaska Park Science Symposium
October 14, 2008
Arctic Grizzly Bears and Muskoxen: A Summary of Studies in and near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Patricia E. Reynolds1
1Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, 101 12th Avenue Room 236, Fairbanks, AK, 99701, USA, Phone 907-456-0502, Fax 907-456-0428, patricia_reynolds@fws.gov
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) living in arctic areas exist at the northern end of their ecological range. Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are found only in the circumpolar north. These species are entwined as predator and prey and both species are vulnerable to changes in the Arctic as a consequence of global warming. For over 35 years, biologists have studied grizzly bears and muskoxen in and near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Refuge) in northeastern Alaska. The Arctic Gas investigations (1972-1974) and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain Resource Assessment (1982-1994) included studies of grizzly bears and muskoxen. State and federal agencies completed a density estimate of grizzly bears in 1999-2003. Current studies of grizzly bears include examining changes in diet over time using stable isotope analysis and detecting the use of carcasses and other resources by bears carrying Global Positioning System (GPS)-satellite collars. Studies of muskoxen, on-going since 1982, determine abundance, distribution, and population dynamics using telemetry, annual surveys and composition counts. Five graduate students studied habitat use and activity of muskoxen. These investigations of grizzly bears and muskoxen in the Arctic Refuge, and other studies in adjacent regions, provide trends over time and information on predator-prey relationships. Data from such long term studies are a key for understanding the effects of global climate change on species and ecological systems in the Arctic.
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