[MCN] The effects of climate change on black and brown bear ecology and interactions with humans

[Lance Olsen]

Biological Conservation Volume 291 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/biological-conservation/vol/291/suppl/C>, March 2024
 
A systematic review of the effects of climate variability and change on black and brown bear ecology and interactions with humans
 
Katherine A. Kurth et al
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320724000612
 
A B S T R A C T
 
Climate change poses a pervasive threat to humans and wildlife by altering resource availability, changing co-
occurrences, and directly or indirectly influencing human-wildlife interactions. For many wildlife agencies in
North America, managing bears (Ursus spp.) and human-bear interactions is a priority, yet the direct and indirect
effects of climate change are exacerbating management challenges. Understanding the underlying ecological
drivers of bear responses to climate variability and change, and the implications for conflict, will be critical for
maintaining human-bear coexistence in North America. We synthesized 120 articles that identified direct and
indirect mechanisms by which climate variability and change affect brown bears (Ursus arctos) and American
black bears (Ursus americanus) in North America. The literature focused on examining climate impacts on bear
diet, body size, habitat selection, space use, activity, denning chronology, and population demographics and
dynamics. Across these categories, we summarized the documented and projected bear responses and resulting
implications for human-bear interactions. Climate-driven changes in natural food availability were frequently
implicated in influencing bear behavior and demography, and creating conditions under which interactions with
humans are likely to increase. Bears in North America may face increased challenges as habitat and natural food
availability continue to be altered by climate change. Our review provides a foundation upon which to identify
climate drivers of bear ecology, conditions conducive to human-bear interactions, and adaptive management
strategies. Given substantial evidence of climate impacts to bears, incorporating climate considerations into bear
management can help managers strategically allocate resources and promote human-bear coexistence.
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