Contribution to the occurence of alpine marmot (Marmota marmota latirostris) in the West Tatra mountains, Slovakia [Contribution à la répartition de la marmotte alpine (Marmota marmota latirostris) dans l'Ouest des montagnes des Tatras, en Slovaquie].

Résumé

The endemic alpine marmot subspecies (Marmota marmota latirostris, Kratochvil, 1961) is a glacial relict species inhabiting the alpine and sub-alpine zone in the Tatra National Park (West, High and Belianske Tatras) and in National Park Low Tatras. It is classified as endangered species (EN) in Slovakia.In 2004, the Slovak Museum of Nature Protection and Speleology in Liptovsky Mikulás started a project on monitoring of marmot colonies in the West Tatra Mountains (about 400 km2) with the aim to obtain detailed present data on the spatial distribution of marmots in the studied area. The geographic coordinates of each found burrow were recorded by using the high-accurate GPAS data mapper Leica GS20. Due to its large extent and the great altitudinal differences, the studied area was divided into several sections, four of which have been monitored in the period 2004_2007, remaining two will be monitored in 2008 and 2009. So far, four fifths of the whole West Tatra region have been monitored. The occurrence of marmots was observed in an area of total length of 30.34 km with total vertical span from 1400 to 2248 m a.s.l. In total, 13282 burrows including 114 main burrows were found in the studied area. 139 colonies were recorded, 120 of them inhabited and 19 uninhabited. The biggest inhabited colony was formed by 359 burrows, the smallest one by 23 burrows.The inventory of the marmot distribution in West Tatras will serve as the basis for the understanding of the marmot ecological requirements as well as the basis for the marmot reintroduction back to the Belianske Tatry mountain ridge where the marmot population was significantly decreased during the last two decades.