MillerGrizzly

=**__ Grizzly Bears: A Threatened Species __**=




 * I. History of the Grizzly Bear**
 * A North-American subspecies of the //Brown Bear:// Around 50,000 presently live in North America
 * These meetings occur mostly in large fishing areas before winter hibernation period (EX: Alaska)
 * Meat: Rodents, Moose, Fish
 * Other: Nuts, berries, fruits, leaves, roots
 * Cubs are often born in sets of twins
 * Breed in winter
 * Anywhere between 5 and 8 feet in size; around 800 lbs in weight
 * Average Lifespan in Wild: 25 years
 * Speedy - can travel up to 30 mph
 * Not often a threat to humans, except when a human comes between a mother and her cubs

Grizzlies are generalists, meaning they eat several kinds of food. As mentioned above, a focal part of the Grizzly diet consists of berries. Berry population in a grizzly habitat is able to grow and flourish because Grizzly feces distribute remnants of these berries, causing them to grow in places near the bear waste. Grizzlies also use their sharp claws to till, or mix up, soil, which encourages soil diversity and fertilization. Because Grizzlies are omnivores, making them generalists, they are able to survive on a broad range of food. This means that, given dire environmental circumstances, they are more apt to survive than a specialist in their environment.
 * II. Grizzlies' Ecological Niche**


 * III. Environmental Programs and Laws that Protect Grizzly Bears**
 * 1) //Defenders of Wildlife Grizzly Compensation Trust// (1997): Offers compensation to ranchers and armers who previously saw an economic profit due to grizzly bear loss, thus encouraging grizzly bear protection. In 1999, defenders also installed more bear-friendly program[[image:Yellowstone_Grizzly.jpg width="400" height="262" align="right" caption="A mother grizzly and her cub in Yellowstone Park." link="@http://search.creativecommons.org/"]]s and wildlife services to prevent conflict between grizzlies and humans.
 * 2) //Endangered Species Act// (1975): According to the ESA, grizzly bears are considered threatened in the 48 American continental states. With regulations and proper precaution, grizzlies are considered game animal in some places during certain times of the year. In 2007, the ESA removed grizzlies in Yellowstone National Park from their list of threatened animals, stating that their population had been recovered. Brown bears are still cited as threatened in Appendices I and II.
 * 3) Wildlife Adoption Center: You are able to adopt members of an endangered or threatened species and donate money to their cause!


 * IV. Endangerment Pressures**

Please reference the chart below to see why the ESA distinguished Grizzlies as threatened...


 * //Climate Change//: Climate change is leading to the lessening population of whitebark pine trees, a species of tree that the grizzly bear heavily relies on. Warmer temperatures and drought are destroying and displacing this species; it also leads to an increase in blister rust and pine beetles. Without the nutrients that grizzlies obtain from the whitebarks' seeds, grizzlies have to search for other sources of food.
 * //Human Conflict//: When grizzlies lack food from the whitebark pines, they are forced to search for food in lower elevations, thus much closer to humans. Grizzlies are attracted to the smell of garbage and pet and bird feed. When humans come in to contact with grizzlies, removal of the grizzly is often deadly for the bear itself.
 * //Hunting//: Because Black Bears are legal to hunt, grizzlies are often killed by mistake as hunters look for black bear game. Also, illegal poaching and killing of grizzlies is still occurring in North America.


 * V. SOURCES**

Gabler, Robert E., James F. Peterson, and L. Michael Trapasso. //Essentials of Physical Geography//. Belmont: Thomas Brooks/‌Cole, 2007. //Google Books//. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .

“Grizzly Bear.” //Defenders of Wildlife//. N.p., 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .

“Grizzly Bears.” //National Geographic Animals//. National Geographic, 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. .

* Image sources can be seen by clicking images