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When the sea ice melts in summer, Arctic foxes, like this one on the tundra of western Greenland, along with Arctic wolves, become isolated. But warming temperatures could extend this solitary existence by limiting sea-ice formation for extended periods during the year. Normally, wolves and foxes use the ice to travel between groups, but its absence could lead to declines in crossbreeding.
In some species, however, such as grizzly and polar bears, ice loss could increase intermixing. Researchers suggest this could also lead to substantial changes in disease dynamics.Image credit: Jeff Kerby/Eric Post Lab/Penn State University
