Diet of Terrestrial Tundra Vertebrates

Regional differences in the abundance and availability of various prey would

mean that polar bear diets would differ across broad geographic regions. Polar bears
forage over thousands of kilometers and they do not defend individual territories. Polar
bears are known to eat ringed seal, bearded seal, harbor seal, harp seal, hooded seal,
walrus, beluga whale, and narwhal. Regional differences among polar bears plays a
significant role in a polar bears diet. Also the demographic differences also affect the
diet of a polar bear. Seasonal differences also play a role in polar bear diets, in both
Lancaster Sound and Bafn Bay, beluga whale tended to contribute more to polar bear
diets in springsummer than fallwinter. Despite the lack of a multivariate seasonal
effect in Davis Strait, consumption of harp seal was higher in springsummer than in
fallwinter, especially among female bears. Polar bears in the Gulf of Boothia consumed
signicantly more beluga whale in springsummer and more ringed seal in fallwinter,
whereas bears in Foxe Basin consumed the most harbor seal in fallwinter (Thiemann,
2008).

The effects of global climate change are currently being expressed in the Arctic.
Already documented are warming temperatures, melting glaciers, reduction of pack ice
extent, shrinking lakes, and alteration of vegetative communities. In terms of arctic
vegetation specifically, lichen abundance is predicted to decline while vascular shrubs
and graminoids (grasses and sedges) may increase. Though Caribou grazing and
trampling have been implicated as major factors in reduced lichen abundance, climate
change may further exacerbate declines. Caribous are found to eat Lichens,
Graminoids, Moss, Shrubs and Forbs (Joly, 2007).
The arctic fox is one of the most characteristic species of the tundra. The arctic
fox is among the smallest species in the dog family, normally weighing between 2.5 and
4.0 kg. Arctic foxes have a circumpolar distribution and are found in all kinds of tundra
habitats. Lemmings, small rodents, hares, birds, eggs, fish, and carrions constitute the
main food source for arctic foxes (Fuglei, 2008).

Throughout their breeding range snowy owls have a narrow, specialized diet
almost entirely made of small mammals during summer. For that reason, it has long
been thought that snowy owls were moving to southern areas to prey upon similar prey
type during the winter. They all found that small mammals or rodents comprised the bulk
of the food consumed by these birds (Therrien, 2011).
Rock Ptarmigan were more common in meadows with graminoids and scattered
woody shrubs. Willow Ptarmigan are socially dominant over Rock Ptarmigan in areas of
sympatry, but the latter avoid dense shrubs during breeding and this may lower
competition. Rock Ptarmigan territories were more often in lower alpine meadows at
intermediate elevations, with a ground cover of graminoids interspersed with rock,
woody shrubs and heather. With this abundance of food resource around it, the rock
ptarmigan consumes leaves, flowers, berries and buds, also the young also feeds on
insects (Wilson, 2008).

Bibliography

Fuglei, E., & Ims, R. A. (2008). Global warming and effects on the arctic

fox.Science progress, 91(2), 175-191.

Joly, K., Cole, M. J., & Jandt, R. R. (2007). Diets of overwintering caribou,
Rangifer tarandus, track decadal changes in Arctic tundra vegetation. The

Canadian Field-Naturalist, 121(4), 379-383.

Therrien, J. F., Gauthier, G., & Bty, J. (2011). An avian terrestrial predator of the
Arctic relies on the marine ecosystem during winter. Journal of Avian

Biology, 42(4), 363-369.

Thiemann, G. W., Iverson, S. J., & Stirling, I. (2008). Polar bear diets and arctic
marine food webs: insights from fatty acid analysis. Ecological

Monographs, 78(4), 591-613.

Wilson, S., & Martin, K. (2008). Breeding habitat selection of sympatric Whitetailed, Rock and Willow Ptarmigan in the southern Yukon Territory,
Canada. Journal of Ornithology, 149(4), 629-637.