21 grizzly bears were known to have died in Alberta last year!

According to an article entitled, "21 dead in 2010" written by  Hamish MacLean and published in The Canmore Leader",  21 grizzly bears were known to have died in Alberta last year up one from the year before!!
(source:http://www.canmoreleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3032244 ).

This fact must suggest to you and to all of us that the Alberta Goverment is not doing enough to conserve the Grizzly Bear population in the Province of Alberta!  In addition, it has been indicated in the article that  

accidental deaths of grizzly bears such as kills on Alberta roads had seen an increase over the last three years!

I do not believe the Grizzly Bear population of Alberta can continue to take losses in this magnitude if the species is going to be able to survive in our planet. I hope I am wrong about this!

Why should we care that the Grizzly Bear species might go extinct in Alberta?

"Grizzly bears play a highly complex role in ecosystems.  In addition to predation on elk and moose calves, grizzlies disperse seeds over large areas, and contribute to nutrient cycling.  Dubbed “ecosystem engineers” by some, the foraging activities of grizzly bears may build or change the ecosystem.  For example, coastal brown bears transfer salmon-derived nitrogen into riparian ecosystems when they kill, move, eat, and leave some fish in the forest."   (source:http://keystoneconservation.typepad.com/keystone_conservation/keystone-species.html  )

"While foraging for tree roots, plant bulbs, or ground squirrels, bears stir up the soil. This process not only helps grizzlies access their food, but also increases species richness in alpine ecosystems." (source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_bear ) ."Grizzlies directly regulate prey populations, and also help prevent overgrazing in forests by controlling the populations of other species in the food chain." (Source:Peek, J.; Beecham, J.; Garshelis, D.; Messier, F.; Miller, S. & Dale, S. (2003), Management of Grizzly Bears in British Columbia: A Review by and Independent Scientific Panel

 

, http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/gbear_finalspr.pdf

 

, retrieved October 28, 2009
 .)

These scientific facts concerning Grizzly Bears show why the Government of Alberta and all Albertans should be concerned with the loss of this many Grizzly bears in one year!



Source of image: http://albertawilderness.ca/issues/wildlife/grizzly-bears