New data concerning a quantity of long-tailed marmot in Kazakhstan’s part of the Kyrgyz Alatau. Novye dannye o tchilennosti dlinnokhvostogo sourka v Kazakhstansko? tchasti Kirgizskogo Alataou. [Nouvelles données sur des marmottes à longue queue dans la partie Kazake de l’Alataou Kirghise].

Résumé

Monitoring of long-tail marmot that began in 1990s (Marmota caudata) were resumed in 2004 in the gorges of the northern slopes of the Kyrgyz Alatau: Aspara, Merke, Oirandi, Sandyktas, and Karakystak. A total mileage over the area under study was 500 km. The length of auto- and foot-transect is 56 km. A total area of count site is 40.8 km2. 336 marmot families consisting of 1970 animais in the aggregate were found in the area. Number of animals per one family ranged from 3.6 on the Sandyktas plateau (extreme conditions) to 6.5 animals per family in Merke. In Karakystak and Oirandi, an average number of animals per family were six, in Aspara - 4.6. The marmot is unevenly distributed in the gorges. The most populated are gorges Merke and Karakystak, where living conditions are the most optimal. Marmot populations density ranged from 3.6 animals per square km on the Sandyktas plateau to 210 in the gorge Merke. 119 animals per square km, on the average, were found to inhabit Karakystak, about 48 -Aspara and Oirandi. Compared to 1995-1997, a population of long-tailed marmot increased twofold (1370 and 650, respectively) due to increase in both the number of families and number of animals in each family. A slight growth of marmot population was observed in the gorge Oirandi: 170 animals in 2004 against 115 in 1997. 400 marmots were found in Aspara (a total number of animals was undercounted since a large part of sub-alpine and alpine zones with higher marmot's population, was missed) against 500 in 1995-1997. The reasons behind the growth of marmot population in some gorges are as follows: adequate volume of livestock grazing helped increase the fodder capacity for marmots: more than 40 flocks were grazed in the gorge Merke in 1995 and only eight sheep flocks and two herds of cows in 2004; sharp reduction of shepherd's dogs (a principle enemy of the marmot); and decreasing of poaching. Number of young animals in families reduced from 2.5 in 1995-1997 to 2.0 in 2004. Number of families without cubs has increased. It seems that natural mechanisms to regulate population number have come into play. So, an estimated number of long-tailed marmots in the gorges of the Kyrgyz ridge exceed 5,000 animals per area of 67.5 km2. It is possible to withdraw some 150-300 marmots annually for sanitary purpose in the gorges Merke and Karakystak.