Ukugcina umkhondo wePolar Bears

UGqr. Andrew E. Derocher, weYunivesithi yase-Alberta, ungumxhasi we-TOF's Inyathelo loLwandle lwePolar exhaswa ngabanikeli ngabanye kunye namaqabane eenkampani ezifana que Ibhotile. Siye sabambana noGqr. Derocher ukuva ngakumbi ngomsebenzi awenzayo kunye nokuba yintoni ifuthe lokutshintsha kwemozulu kwiibhere ezimhlophe.

Kunjani ukufunda iibhere ezimhlophe?
Ezinye iintlobo zifundeka lula kunezinye kwaye iibhere ezimhlophe azikho ezilula. Kuxhomekeke kwindawo abahlala kuyo, ngaba sinokuzibona, kwaye zeziphi iindlela esinokuzisebenzisa. Iibhere ezincanyana zihlala kwiindawo eziqelelene ezibandayo ezibiza imali eninzi kakhulu. Ngaphandle kwale mingeni, iinkqubo zophando lwexesha elide zithetha ukuba sazi okuninzi malunga neebhere ezimhlophe kwaye sekunjalo sihlala sijonge izixhobo ezitsha neziphuculweyo.

Loluphi uhlobo lwezixhobo ozisebenzisayo?
Esinye isixhobo esinomdla esahlumayo yi-ear tag satellite edityaniswe koonomathotholo. Sisebenzise iikhola zesathelayithi kumashumi eminyaka ukujonga ukusetyenziswa kwendawo yokuhlala, ukufuduka, ukuphila, kunye namazinga okuzala, kodwa ezi zinokusetyenziswa kuphela kwiimazi ezikhulileyo kuba iinkunzi ezindala zineentamo ezibanzi kuneentloko zazo kwaye iikhola zityibilika. I-ear tag radios (malunga nobunzima bebhetri ye-AA) ngakolunye uhlangothi, ingasetyenziselwa kuzo zombini izini kwaye isinike ukuya kwiinyanga ze-6 zolwazi lwendawo. Kwezinye iiparamitha ezibalulekileyo, njengemihla yeebhere zihamba kwaye zibuyela emhlabeni, ezi thegi zisebenza kakuhle. Bachaza ixesha lebhere emhlabeni xa umkhenkce wolwandle unyibilikile kwaye iibhere zihamba elunxwemeni kwaye zithembele kugcino lwamafutha agciniweyo ukuze zibe namandla. Kukho umda wokuba iibhere zinokuphila ixesha elingakanani ngaphandle kokutya kwaye ngokubeka iliso kwixesha elingenamkhenkce ukusuka kwimbono yebhere ye-polar sifumana ukuqonda okubalulekileyo malunga nendlela utshintsho lwemozulu olubachaphazela ngayo.

Ukutshintsha kwemozulu kuyichaphazela njani indlela yokuziphatha kwebhere elimhlophe?
Esona sisoyikiso sikhulu esijongene neebhere ezimhlophe kukuphulukana nendawo yokuhlala okubangelwa kukufudumala kweArctic. Ukuba ixesha elingenamkhenkce lidlula iintsuku ezingama-180-200, iibhere ezininzi ziya kuphelisa iivenkile zazo ezinamafutha kwaye zilambe. Amabhere amancinci kakhulu kwaye amadala kakhulu asemngciphekweni.Ngexesha le-Arctic yasebusika iibhere ezininzi ze-polar, ngaphandle kwe-denning females ezikhulelweyo, ziphuma elwandle lokuzingela i-ice seal. Olona kuzingela lubalaseleyo lwenzeka entlakohlaza xa itywina eliringi kunye neentshebe ziphuma. Uninzi lwamantshontsho etywina angama-naïve, kunye noomama abazama ukuwancancisa, babonelela ngefestile yamathuba okuba iibhere zityebe. Kwiibhere ezimhlophe, kunamafutha apho akhoyo. Ukuba ucinga ngazo njengezifunxa ezityebileyo, usondele ekuqondeni ukuba zihlala njani kwindawo enzima ngolo hlobo. Amatywina axhomekeke kumaleko ashinyeneyo ukuze ahlale eshushu kwaye iibhere zixhomekeke ekutyeni laa mafutha afumileyo ukuze akhe iivenkile zawo zamafutha. Ibhere inokutya ukuya kuthi ga kwi-20% yobunzima bomzimba wayo kwisidlo esinye kwaye apho, ngaphezulu kwe-90% iya kuya ngqo kwiiseli zabo zamafutha ukuze zigcinwe ngamaxesha xa zingafumanekiyo izitywina. Akukho bhere elimhlophe elakhe lajonga kwimbonakalo yalo laze lacinga ukuba “ndityebe kakhulu”. Kukusinda kwezona zityebileyo kwiArctic.

Iimazi ezikhulelweyo ezifakwe kwimingxunya yasebusika ngaphambili ziye zabeka amanqatha amaninzi okubavumela ukuba baphile ukuya kutsho kwiinyanga ezisibhozo ngaphandle kokutyisa kwangaxeshanye bezala kwaye bencancisa amathole awo. Intshontsho elinye okanye amabini amancinane alingana neguinea pig azalwa malunga noNyaka Omtsha. Ukuba umkhenkce unyibilika kwangoko, aba mama batsha abayi kuba nexesha elaneleyo lokugcina amanqatha kwihlobo elizayo. Amantshontsho ebhere emhlophe athembele kubisi olusuka koonina isithuba seminyaka eyi-2.5 kwaye ngenxa yokuba ekhula ngokukhawuleza, anamafutha amancinci agciniweyo. Umama ngumnatha wabo wokhuseleko.

Yintoni ofuna ukuba abantu bayazi ngomsebenzi wakho?
Kulucelomngeni ukuba yibhere emhlophe: ubusuku obubandayo basebusika obuqhaqhazelisa amazinyo obuthatha iinyanga kwaye buhlala kumkhenkce wolwandle ophetshethwa ngumoya nemisinga. Into kukuba, iibhere ziye zavela ukuze zihlale apho kwaye iimeko ziyatshintsha. Ukuba ngabasemhlabeni ngakumbi njengokhokho wabo webhere eyigrizzly ayiyondlela yokukhetha. Ukutshintsha kwemozulu kuthabatha indawo yokuhlala abavele bazivelela ukuze bayisebenzise. Uphando lwethu lunegalelo ekuqondeni ukuba iibhere ze-polar zisabela njani kwiimeko zokufudumala. Njengemifanekiso eqingqiweyo ye-Arctic, iibhere ezincanyana ziye zangaqondanga ukuba zizinto ezibonisa utshintsho lwemozulu. Sinexesha lokutshintsha ikamva lebhere yomkhenkce kwaye ngokukhawuleza senze ngcono. Ikamva labo lixhomekeke kwizigqibo esizenzayo namhlanje.