Actual factors determining of current depression of mongolian marmots [Facteurs réels déterminants de la dépression en cours des marmottes de mongolie ].

Résumé

There are about 8 million marmots in Mongolia now according to our calculations. The probable maximal number of the population in optimum conditions in the past was 21 million animals. Factors determining of quick decrease of Mongolian marmots population from 2000 to current day were detected. The are (according to the reduction of importance): The hunting of marmots caused by active overpriced purchase of marmot’s skins; The spring hunting of marmots extremely decreasing the ability of populations for recovering; The hunting of marmots by the local peoples for food during the whole warm season; Thee use of all products obtained from marmots (skin, meat, fat, brown fat, liver, bile, bones) in the Tibetan medicine which is widely popular at the last years; The change of hunter strategy to using traps and loops; A plenty of the local people’s dogs hunting marmots actively; High number of predators, especially wolves and eagles; Easier motor locomotion to marmots colonies that became their hunting more intensive; Spring droughts lasted every some last years, that probably concerned with global warming of the climate. There are some additional local factors except these ones.