La marmotte alpine (Marmota marmota) dans les Alpes orobiennes : analyse des paramètres écologiques. Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) in the Orobic Alps: analysis of ecological parameters.

Résumé

This work is part of a research project finalized to collecting information about the ecology of alpine marmot, its purpose is to determine which are the environment preferences of this animal, relating to the environment availabilities. The researches have taken place in Brembana Valley (Bergamo district), in the same area studied in a previous research. The work is composed of two stages. In the first one it has been ascertained the parameters necessary to the description of marmot population ecology (altitude, exposure, slope, sun-exposure), it has been measured the environment availabilities. In the second stage data been collected on the territory by compiling data cards. The elaboration of the collected data allowed to obtain the following information about marmot’s environment preferences. A preliminary analysis of the colony distribution relating to their density and a further statistical inquiry, have permitted to establish that there are not significative preference about exposure. No preferences too towards the different altitude and sunny places, but great difference is made by the slope. The analysis of the data cards compiled on the field shows how these animals do not like the forestal zones, but their preferences are given to stony places. They colonize better the environment which are sheltered by rocky walls, while the wood is generally left below the colony.