Ecological Relationship

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Chain Reactions

Find out about food chains and to practice Creating A Chain Reaction

Black Bears

Across BC, the Black Bear lives in a variety of ecosystems

They are an important component of local food chains
In most ecosystems Black Bears function primarily as a herbivore
and secondly as a carnivore, although they are often referred to as
omnivores ("everything eaters") because they will eat anything to survive
Bears are also scavengers and play a role in recycling carrion
Bears help transport the berry seeds
Along salmon spawning streams, bear feces and the remains of fish
carried into the woods contribute to the long-term nutrient cycle in old-growth forest
Even cambium feeding by bears, which sometimes kills trees, creates widely scattered snags
that benefit other species of wildlife

Read more about... our relationship with Black Bears in BC

Grizzly Bears

Within their home range, Grizzly Bears use a wide variety of habitats
- As food items become scarce, the grizzly bear’s territory increases
- They will travel from alpine food sources to estuaries, to berry patches, to salmon spawning sites – visiting each site when its particular food source is available... Grizzly Facts

According to the BC Government:

On the coast, Grizzly Bears feed mostly in estuaries (where river meets sea - where fresh water and salt water mix)
and in valley bottom wetlands where succulent new sedges, grasses, skunk cabbage, horsetail, and cow parsnip
are available in spring

Later, they switch to berries – salmonberry, red elder, and devils’ club – and then to spawning salmon

After the main salmon runs in August and early September, they often feed on skunk cabbage again
before hibernation

In the interior, in the spring Grizzly Bears congregate in moist, low elevation sites such as wetlands and
lower avalanche tracks, looking for the lush herbaceous plants that grow there

They also switch to berries in summer, particularly blueberries

Interior bears have less access to salmon than coastal Grizzly Bears, but they make more use of alternate foods like lily bulbs, sweet-vetch roots, and ground squirrels

They also seek out the carcasses of ungulates that have died during the winter and prey on deer fawns and moose and elk calves born in the spring

Interior Grizzly Bears forage at a variety of elevations, from valley bottoms to alpine meadows

Many Segments Of Society Place A High Value On Grizzly Bear:

First Nations people feature the Grizzly in many of their ceremonies, stories, dances, and cultural traditions

They often carved the bear on totem poles

Many native tribes had bear clans or cults

Indigenous people also used the hides and meat of bears, even though they were difficult to get before firearms became available

Read more about... our relationship with Grizzly Bears in BC

Black Bear Sources:  Bears In BC - Hinterland - BC Government
Grizzly Sources:  Bears In BC - Hinterland - BC Government - Grizzly Bears In BC

Why are our bears important to protect?

Check out How Bears Contribute to Our Ecology?