The status of the Siberian marmot in the eastern steppe of Mongolia [statut de la marmotte de Sibérie dans l'est de la steppe de la Mongolie].

Résumé

Siberian marmots (Marmota sibirica) are important members of the Mongolian steppe ecosystem and local human economy. Recent declines in marmot numbers have forced the Mongolian government to ban marmot hunting for four years (2005 through 2008). The main objectives for this study were to develop a baseline understanding of current marmot distribution and density in the Eastern Steppe of Mongolia (Dornod, Sukhbaatar, and Khenti aimags). We conducted line transects across the Eastern Steppe during pup emergence in 2005, 2006 and 2007. These distance sampling surveys detected active and inactive marmot colonies (“burrow clusters”), marmots, and other wildlife (primarily carnivores, ungulates and raptors) along our transects; we used the program DISTANCE to estimate densities. Our density and population estimates indicate a severe decline from other published studies. We discuss our findings on raptors, wild ungulates and raptors and how these taxa may be affected by marmot densities. We present how we measured burrow clusters and determined active and inactive status. Finally, we speculate on how the Siberian marmot functions in the grassland ecosystem and the future of conservation for this marmot species.