Reproductive rate of Arkansas black bears halved after summer drought
3/30/2023 2:24:59 AM
CATEGORIES:
Plants & Wildlife
AFFECTED AREAS:
Arkansas
Ashley County, AR
Baxter County, AR
Benton County, AR
Boone County, AR
Carroll County, AR
Cleburne County, AR
Conway County, AR
Crawford County, AR
Faulkner County, AR
Franklin County, AR
Fulton County, AR
Garland County, AR
Hot Spring County, AR
Howard County, AR
Independence County, AR
Izard County, AR
Johnson County, AR
Logan County, AR
Madison County, AR
Marion County, AR
Montgomery County, AR
Newton County, AR
Perry County, AR
Pike County, AR
Polk County, AR
Pope County, AR
Randolph County, AR
Saline County, AR
Scott County, AR
Searcy County, AR
Sebastian County, AR
Sharp County, AR
Stone County, AR
Van Buren County, AR
Washington County, AR
White County, AR
Yell County, AR
Start Date: 6/1/2022
- End Date: 3/29/2023
The 2022 summer drought in Arkansas limited wild blackberry and wild cherry production, particularly in the northern part of the state, where drought was more intense. Arkansas' black bears normally eat the fruit, but had to find other food. The following winter, the bears' low reproductive rate at 45 percent of normal affected the same area, suggesting that the reduced food supply affected the subsequent reproductive rate.
KARK (Little Rock, Ark.), March 29, 2023
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