Why Bears are Important to the Environment

What comes to mind when you think of bears? Probably mean, wild creatures that roam the forested mountains and like to sleep a lot. Did you know that these creatures are of the paramount essence to the environment? Sit tight while I shed some insights on the importance of bears.

Why are Bears Important to the Environment?

For years, many people have tried to understand the peculiarity of bears. For starters, they can stand on two legs, pick things with their digits, communicate via scratching marks on trees, and eat what we eat making their behavioral traits resemble those of humans.

There is a wide diversification of this species ranging from Brown, polar, cave, and black bear just to mention a few. The specie is currently fading due to human interference, yet we understand that they have contributed positively to the ecosystem.

If you are not convinced, here’s why bears are important to the environment.

•         Make the Forest Fertile

It is understood bears love to eat fish. By dragging salmon carcasses through the forest, they help to enrich the soil. This is good for trees and other forest cover vegetation. Additionally, they deposit scat on the forest floors. Animal waste deposits are great for enriching the soil. They act as a natural growth booster.

•         Seed Dispersion

Bears help in seed dispersion. When they eat fruits, seeds do not undergo digestion and pass out as facial matters. Bears deposit these seeds on different parts of the ecosystem resulting in new plant growth. Black bears, in particular, eat a lot of fruit and vegetation so they are amongst the main seed dispersion agents.

•         Clean the Forest and Maintain Ecosystem Balance

The forest would be littered with carcasses if not for bears. Even though bears are not scavengers, they help by eating these carcasses. Additionally, bears are predators by nature so they help to maintain the balance of the ecosystem by reducing the population of animals like the deer, moose, and bucks just to mention a few.

•         Beautiful to Watch

Bears are amazing creatures. Scientists have not yet completely understood the ability of bears to hibernate for more than six months and emerge with all their physiological activities and bones still in good condition. The denning bear can completely shut down all its digestive and excretory activities and still support cubs. This has made them an exemplary tourist attraction. Watching these animals in their natural habitat can be a worthwhile experience.

Overall, we can see that bears are crucial to our environment. However, the bears’ population is at risk through illegal hunting and application of bearskins into woven fabrics. We should protect our bear population at all costs to maintain a balanced ecosystem.

Come visit Yellowstone Bear World and help support the bear population!