Arctic Fox Climate Report
Effects of Climate, Distribution, and Human Interaction in Declining Arctic Fox Population What if a species is declining uncontrollably, but there is lack of response and awareness to these regions needing help? The Vulpes lagopus (Arctic fox) is categorized as ‘least concern’ in risk of extinction. However, it is important to analyze the trends since they are looking grim for future populations (Angerbjörn, Berteaux, & Ims, 2012). The Arctic fox population is declining in Nordic and North American regions of the world. Climate change is also an increasing concern for the planet, as it is increasing temperatures in the Arctic. Distribution of Arctic foxes range from inland to coastal regions, with varying degrees of coping mechanisms and
…show more content…
The Arctic fox is known for their luscious white fur, which allures the hunters for the warmth and appearance (Angerbjörn & Tannerfeldt, 2014). The fur trade impacted the Arctic Fox population greatly because of the high quality pelt they produced (Vertefeuille, 2016). This made it a very desirable target to trade and wear for humans. However, the fur trade decreased drastically and Arctic fox populations are not as susceptible to overexploitation as before (Vertefeuille, 2016). Still, native populations hunt for this fur (Vertefeuille, 2016), since they live near the foxes in the Arctic and value its fur for warmth and accessory. The disease and genetic pollution is also another major threat for the foxes bred in captivity (Angerbjörn & Tannerfeldt, 2014). They are held in captivity to produce their furs, but the confinements of being bred in the caged areas promote those negative factors. Further problem is associated with the human interaction in North America, as Arctic foxes that are not native to the area of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska are being directly killed (Angerbjörn et al., 2012). This is because of conservation efforts regarding the bird population, since the Arctic foxes are predators (Angerbjörn et al., 2012). However, they are lessening the Arctic fox population and need to realize this before it is too late. Therefore, the human interactions with the Arctic fox increase their mortality
The Arctic fox is known for their luscious white fur, which allures the hunters for the warmth and appearance (Angerbjörn & Tannerfeldt, 2014). The fur trade impacted the Arctic Fox population greatly because of the high quality pelt they produced (Vertefeuille, 2016). This made it a very desirable target to trade and wear for humans. However, the fur trade decreased drastically and Arctic fox populations are not as susceptible to overexploitation as before (Vertefeuille, 2016). Still, native populations hunt for this fur (Vertefeuille, 2016), since they live near the foxes in the Arctic and value its fur for warmth and accessory. The disease and genetic pollution is also another major threat for the foxes bred in captivity (Angerbjörn & Tannerfeldt, 2014). They are held in captivity to produce their furs, but the confinements of being bred in the caged areas promote those negative factors. Further problem is associated with the human interaction in North America, as Arctic foxes that are not native to the area of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska are being directly killed (Angerbjörn et al., 2012). This is because of conservation efforts regarding the bird population, since the Arctic foxes are predators (Angerbjörn et al., 2012). However, they are lessening the Arctic fox population and need to realize this before it is too late. Therefore, the human interactions with the Arctic fox increase their mortality