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Résumé

The steppe marmot is considered the original inhabitant of virgin steppes. We have carried out the analysis of ecological environment factors of the European subspecies of the steppe marmot (Marmota bobak bobak Müller (1776)), since the first contemporary sources dated by the XVIII-th century. The results of the analysis show the following facts: 1. All described settlements of marmot were located on the left bank of the Dnieper. The steppes on the left bank of the Dnieper are hilly and richly intersected by rivers and gullies. The most preferred habitats for the steppe marmot there are the gullies (the gully network or gully systems) of the river valleys. The authors have described that such gullies were inhabited by great number of marmot individuals. The marmot settlements on the flat steppes were necessarily surrounded with marmot settlements in the gullies, and had direct communication and connection with them. Thus, a necessary condition of the stable existence of modern population of M. b. bobak is the continuity of gully systems network. 2. Since ancient times till the XIX-th century, natural pastoralim remained the most advanced branch of the steppe zone agricultural economy. It is apparent that pastoralism and cattle breeding was mostly developed in the river valley around gully systems. In all historical times, the most progressive settlements of the steppe marmot have been located in the zones of extensive livestock husbandry economy (which was similar to natural pastoralim). On the contrary, the crash of economy of this type correlated with the decline of the steppe marmot settlements. Thus, both historical sources and modern research do not leave doubts in the necessity of natural pastoral livestock pressure on habitats of the steppe marmot (see also Tokarsky et al., present edition).