Historical population dynamics of ringed seals, Pusa hispida, of the Svalbard archipelago:Predicting the response to climate change

摘要: The ringed seal (Pusa hispida) is a pagophilic species with life cycle closely associated the sea ice and also key prey for polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Global warming rapidly diminishing extent of summer in Arctic, greatly reducing habitat availability seals indirectly influencing bears. Predicting effects climate change on abundance essential effective long-term management, but challenging due to complex relationship between ecological dynamics. Understanding how historical population dynamics have responded past may provide insights into responses current future changes. In this study we employed Bayesian skyline plots, coalescence-based method inference dynamics, using mitochondrial DNA control region nucleotide sequences collected from bears at Svalbard. Our analysis revealed pattern expansion followed by contraction seals, suggesting possible correlation Preliminary results suggest Additional on-going data analyses large number high-resolution SNPs will add further rigor our study. findings implications conservation bear, addition providing evolutionary ecology marine mammals Arctic.