Marmot survey in the eastern steppe in Mongolia. Obsledovanie sourkov v vostotchnoï stepi Mongolii. Suivi de marmotte dans les steppes orientales de Mongolie].

Résumé

Siberian marmots (Marmota sibirica) are important members of the Mongolian steppe ecosystem and local economy. Unfortunately, recent declines in marmot numbers have forced the Mongolian government to restrict marmot hunting. The main objectives for this study were to survey marmot colonies and to develop an understanding of marmot distribution in the Eastern Steppe of Mongolia. We conducted transects across the Eastern Steppe during pup emergence from June through July 2005. These surveys were undertaken to locate all active and inactive marmot colonies along our line transects, and we used distance sampling in order to estimate colony density. We estimated the number of marmots at each colony (maximum count) and more intensively sampled a subset of detected colonies to gain reliable estimates of marmot numbers per colony. ln addition, we attempt to identify a way to estimate numbers within a colony based on a proxy variable. In addition to marmot colonies, we recorded locations of other wildlife (primarily carnivores, ungulates and, to some extent, raptors) along our transects. We hope to examine the relationship of wildlife diversity and density with proximity to marmot colonies. ln the future, we hope to develop predictive surfaces of marmot density based on spatial models using location data and physiographic variables. For this talk, we will present our preliminary findings about density and distribution of marmot colonies in the Eastern Steppe.