Brown bear (Ursus arctos) body size, condition, and productivity in the Arctic, 1977–2016

Abstract

The Arctic is generally warming with lengthening growing seasons that can influence individuals, populations, and communities. However, temperature data indicate that the changes are largely local and variable. We compared body size, body condition, and productivity among four Arctic brown bear (Ursus arctos) studies separated in time and space from 1977 to 2016. As body size, condition, and productivity varied among populations, local conditions, both biotic and abiotic, appear to influence the size, condition, and productivity of individual bears and, thus, bear populations. We conclude that current local studies are critical in informing management decisions, because extrapolations from concurrent adjacent studies or reliance on past local studies may not represent the present condition of an Arctic brown bear population.