One abiotic change that may increase pup mortality in ringed seals is climate change, specifically the warming temperatures that lead to reduced snowfall and earlier snowmelt. This can affect the availability and stability of the snowdrifts where ringed seals give birth, resulting in less suitable or fewer lairs. If lairs are not adequately formed or are unstable, seal pups may be more vulnerable to predation, exposure to harsh weather, and other environmental stresses, leading to increased mortality rates. Other environmental changes, such as increased sea ice degradation or altered prey availability due to temperature changes, can also contribute to the challenges faced by ringed seals and their pups.
ringed seals give birth in lairs carved out of packed snowdrifts. which adiotic change may increase pup mortality.
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