Siberian Marmots Research Articles

Activity overlap between mesocarnivores and prey in the Central Mongolian steppe

Research on the ecology and behaviour of mesocarnivores and their prey is scant in Mongolia. We investigated activity patterns of a guild of mesocarnivores (red fox, Pallas’s cat and beech marten) and their prey (Siberian marmot, Daurian pika, Brandt vole, Mongolian gerbil and Mongolian silver vole) using 21 camera traps (effort = 1155 camera days) in Central Mongolia from 25st of May to 20th August 2019. Activity patterns of mesocarnivores were cathemeral (i.e. no difference between diurnal, nocturnal and crepuscular detections, although activity peaked at sunrise). Among prey, the Siberian marmot and the Daurian pika were diurnal, whereas the Mongolian gerbil and the Mongolian silver vole were not generally crepuscular. Beech marten, the smallest mesocarnivore species, was temporally segregated from the other (and larger) mesocarnivore species. Temporal segregation between mesocarnivores and prey was evident between the following pairs: red fox vs Brandt’s vole and Mongolian gerbil; Pallas’s cat vs Siberian marmot, Brandt’s vole and Mongolian gerbil; and beech marten vs Siberian marmot, Daurian pika and the Mongolian silver vole. Activity overlap between mesocarnivores and prey ranged considerably. Activity overlap between the beech marten and prey was lower than that of the other mesocarnivores. Temporal overlap among mesocarnivores and between mesocarnivores and prey seemed to be related to species-specific traits, while also being mediated by local prey abundance. We suggest future surveys should be stratified based on habitat and on the target species, while also integrating different survey methods (e.g. camera traps and live trapping of small mammals).

Wildlife Hunting in Eastern Mongolia: Economic and Demographic Factors Infl uencing Hunting Behavior of Herding Households

Much of Mongolia’s rangelands are under state control and managed via traditional land use practices and are habitat for numerous wildlife species harvested for their meat and fur. Political and economic transformations that have been occurring since the early 1990’s continues to affect all aspects of Mongolian society. To cope during periods of economic hardship, many turned to harvesting wildlife resources for income and subsistence and this resulted in precipitous declines of some populations, marmots for example. Interviews with herding households in Mongolia’s eastern steppe region were conducted to better determine how wildlife resources (Mongolian gazelle, Siberian marmot, red foxes, corsac foxes, and gray wolf) are utilized and valued by herding families. Hunting, carried out by 65% of interviewees, returned an average of $103±172 dollars per household. The number of individuals hunted of any particular species during the previous year ranged widely - 46% of households hunted an average of 8±9 Mongolian gazelles (the equivalent of a small cow), 31% hunted 5±5 corsac foxes, 29% hunted 42±47 marmots, 22% hunted 3±3 red foxes, and 17% hunted 3±2 gray wolves. Differences in mean annual income between hunting and non-hunting households were similar ($1,292±1,132 vs. $1,080±1,196) however the median difference was greater ($1,009 vs $749). However, non-hunting households owned significantly more livestock than hunting households (168±183 vs. 93±92 Livestock Units), and the proportion of hunting households living below the poverty line was higher. Households that were larger or had few numbers of livestock were more likely to engage in hunting than smaller households with more livestock. Household and livestock variables were also significant predictors of a households likelihood of hunting Mongolian gazelle, Siberian marmot, and corsac fox, but not for red fox or gray wolf. Wildlife management policies will likely receive greater acceptance and compliance if subsistence hunting needs were incorporated.

Mongolian Racerunners (Eremias argus) Occupancy in Active and Inactive Siberian Marmot (Marmota sibirica) Colonies

Habitat fragmentation caused by anthropogenic activities alters the distribution, abundance and diversity of wildlife species worldwide. As one example, Siberian marmots have experienced a >75% decline across Mongolia since the 1990s due to human harvests. Burrowing mammals are keystone; ecosystem engineers in many communities because burrowing can directly and indirectly alter the availability of resources, have effects at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and have a significant role in community organization. The deep and complex burrow systems of marmots provide underground shelters with stable microclimates that other vertebrate and invertebrate animals exploit. Our general hypothesis was that marmot colonies positively influence racerunner occupancy probability because burrows offer shelter from environmental conditions, refuges for predation, and a high diversity and number of insects and other prey items. Using occupancy modeling, we showed that the presence of a Siberian marmot colony influenced racerunner occupancy. Marmot active colony + inactive colony- ψ (AMC+IMC), p (temp+temp2) were the best approximating model. Racerunner detection was highest at approximately 24.3°C. For the aspect and elevation model, foothills had an important influence on lizard occupancy. Our results showed that marmot burrows greatly influence Mongolian racerunner occurrence and suggest that habitat modification by rodent ecosystem engineers exert ecological influence on biodiversity.

Geochemical Analyses of Marmot Teeth to Evaluate the Potential for Overlapping Foraging Ranges in Two Siberian Human Cemetery Populations

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of human remains from two contemporaneous cemeteries in the Lake Baikal region of Russia indicate similarity in diets among some individuals buried in these two locations. Given that the Middle Holocene cemeteries are only 75 km apart, these dietary data could indicate overlap in foraging ranges between the two human cemetery populations. Incisors from Siberian marmots (Marmota sibirica) are the most abundant type of faunal remains recovered from both cemeteries. Siberian marmots are a steppe species and hibernate over much of the year, being readily accessible to humans only during the summer and early fall. They are a fat-rich and desirable food item today in adjacent portions of Central Asia. To test if the dietary similarity between the two cemetery human groups might be due to overlapping hunting areas for marmots, Barium/Calcium and Strontium/Calcium ratios in a sample of marmot teeth were examined. The results of these analyses indicate very little overlap in the trace element values for the marmot teeth from the two cemeteries, which suggests the two human groups were procuring marmots in different regions. We argue that the dietary similarity seen between the two cemeteries can be best accounted for by shared use of isotopically similar fish moving between Lake Baikal and its tributary, the Angara River. An alternative explanation is that the overlapping isotope values are a result of human migration between the two cemetery regions.

Skilled Natives, Inept Coolies: Marmot Hunting and the Great Manchurian Pneumonic Plague (1910–1911)

Taking as its setting the great Manchurian pneumonic plague epidemic of 1910–1911, this article examines the construction of epidemiological blame that targeted migrant labourers from the peninsula of Shandong employed in the hunting of the Siberian marmot (Marmota sibirica), a natural reservoir of the disease. The article demonstrates how Chinese epidemiologists sought to pathologize marmot-hunting migrants from Shandong as unskilled pestilent “coolies”, while at the same time valorizing Mongol and Buryat marmot hunters as a “native” counter-paradigm; a binary anthropology of skill and sanitation, which instituted “coolies” as an anthropological type essential to the construction of hygienic modernity in China.

Marmot Disturbance Drives Trait Variations Among Five Dominant Grasses in a Mongolian Grassland

We examined how disturbances by Siberian marmots (Marmota sibirica) and associated spatial heterogeneity of foraging patterns and soil properties affect trait variations in five dominant perennial grasses (including sedges) in a Mongolian grassland. Using four continuous traits (leaf height, leaf area, leaf mass per area, and root length) of each grass species, we compared species and plot mean trait values and species’ niche breadth (calculated on the basis of species’ traits) between sites with and without marmots. At sites with marmots, investment in leaves was not favored, probably because of the prevalence of foraging, with the result that plot mean values of leaf height and area were smaller than at control sites. Niche breadth values for leaf area and leaf mass per area were greater at marmot sites, probably due to the spatially heterogeneous patterns of foraging. We observed greater values of species and plot mean root length values at marmot sites. We suggest that the modification of soil physicochemical properties by marmot burrowing, defecation, and urination might enhance root growth for ensuring physical stability of plant bodies and increasing the rate of nutrient acquisition. Niche breadth value for root length was greater at marmot sites, probably due to the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties. Quantification of trait distributions among plant species may help to explain the different plant adaptive mechanisms in relation to external drivers, such as disturbance.

Do Siberian marmots influence toad-headed agama occupancy? Examining the influence of marmot colonies and three steppe habitats in Mongolia

The Siberian marmot is a large, endangered rodent and often considered a keystone species because of its perceived effects on steppe ecosystems. However, few studies have examined the effects of marmots on other species. We examined the influence of marmots on toad-headed agama occupancy probability in an arid steppe region of Mongolia. We modeled the influence of marmot colonies and three habitats, including rocky outcrops, open plains, and shrubland using an occupancy modeling framework based on three surveys of 122 sites from June to August 2010. We detected agamas during 64% of surveys and at 85% of sites. Marmot colonies and their interactions with other habitats had little influence on occupancy probability at a given site. The amount of surrounding open plains and shrubland also showed little influence. Our results indicated toad-headed agama occupancy was inversely related to the amount of surrounding rocky outcrop. Rocky outcrop may be less suitable to agamas because of its sparse vegetation, lack of burrows, and heat-absorbing qualities. Although marmots affect the distribution of other species, our results suggest they exert little influence on toad-headed agamas. We also suggest that the creation of rocky habitat by mineral mining will negatively impact toad-headed agamas.

Local-scale disturbance by Siberian marmots has little influence on regional plant richness in a Mongolian grassland

Our objective was to examine the relative importance of local-scale disturbance by Siberian marmots in increasing regional (landscape-wide) plant richness. We used an additive diversity partitioning framework and quantified species richness patterns of grassland plant communities affected by marmot disturbance across different spatial scales: within and among on- and off-marmot-mound subsites, among sites, and among landscape units (corresponding to α and three levels of β richness). Values of β richness among subsites and β richness among landscape units were similar to those expected by chance. This suggests that plant species are randomly distributed among subsites and among landscape units, despite the prediction based on previous studies that local-scale disturbance by Siberian marmots and its interactive effects with landscape contexts disproportionately influence spatial patterns of plant species. Of the spatial components of regional richness, only the β richness among sites was significantly different from the expected value, probably reflecting the differential spatial pattern of disturbance by marmots at a site scale. The β richness among landscape units contributed the most to regional richness, whereas β richness among subsites and among sites contributed less. Thus, our results suggest that local-scale disturbance by Siberian marmots has little influence on regional plant richness in a Mongolian grassland.

Effects of Food Availability on Time Budget and Home Range of Siberian Marmots in Mongolia

Effects of Food Availability on Time Budget and Home Range of Siberian Marmots in Mongolia

Den-site selection is critical for Pallas’s cats (Otocolobus manul)

We evaluated the habitat selection of 101 den sites used by 21 individual Pallas’s cats ( Otocolobus manul (Pallas, 1776) = Felis manul Pallas, 1776) in summer, winter, and the maternal period in central Mongolia using generalized linear mixed models. Pallas’s cats used rock crevices and marmot burrows as dens for giving birth, raising young, thermoregulation, feeding, mating, and as important cover from predators. Den sites were selected with higher proportions of rocky and ravine habitats in the surroundings, and in winter Pallas’s cats avoided the presence of humans. Habitat and structural features suggested that dens were selected to minimize predation risk. Selection of dens in shade in summer and the use of insulated dens of Siberian marmots ( Marmota sibirica (Radde, 1862)) in winter indicated that thermal properties may also be important. We contend that dens are a critical habitat for Pallas’s cats and the availability of suitable den sites is critical for the conservation of the species. Repeated use of maternal dens suggested they may be a limiting resource. Although marmot dens are unlikely to be limiting at present, over hunting of marmots is likely to reduce burrow availability in the future.

Responses of vegetation to soil disturbance by Sibelian marmots within a landscape and between landscape positions in Hustai National Park, Mongolia

AbstractCan an examination of the interactive effects of soil disturbance by rodents and landscape positions on vegetation response evaluate the ecological role of the keystone species (ecosystem engineers) at a broad scale, thereby providing good approaches to the management of the key engineers for healthy Mongolian steppes? To answer this question, we surveyed plants growing on and off the mounds created by Siberian marmots (Marmota sibirica) among 14 landscape positions and within a single mountain slope in a forested steppe region of Mongolia. Significant interactions between landscape position and soil disturbance by marmots were seen in forb volume. The impact of soil disturbance on species composition was low in mountain areas and high on depositional plains. Soil disturbance may have changed microenvironments from xeric to more humid or from moist to more xeric, depending on the other site characteristics. Collectively, our results suggest that sedimentation and pre‐existing water conditions modify the relationships between soil disturbance and landscape position. Because the landscapes can be divided clearly into those that received only positive influences and those that received only negative influence from the marmot disturbance, zoning becomes more meaningful. Our a priori evaluation of the influence of keystone engineers on ecosystems at a broad scale could provide insights into how to optimize the performance of ecosystem engineering in a way that is beneficial to ecosystem management.

Spatial pattern of grazing affects influence of herbivores on spatial heterogeneity of plants and soils

With our enhanced understanding of the factors that determine biodiversity and assemblage structure has come increasing acknowledgment that the use of an appropriate disturbance regime to maintain spatial heterogeneity is an effective conservation technique. A herbivore's behavior affects its disturbance regime (size and intensity); this, in turn, may modify the associated spatial heterogeneity of plants and soil properties. We examined whether the pattern of spatial disturbance created by the Siberian marmot (Marmota sibirica) affects the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation and soils at a colony scale on the Mongolian steppe. We expected that the difference in management between two types of area (protection against hunting marmots vs. hunting allowed) would result in different behavioral patterns; therefore, we estimated the patterns of spatial disturbance separately in protected and unprotected areas. We then surveyed plant communities and soil nutrients in these areas to assess their spatial heterogeneity. We found that disturbance of both vegetation and soil was more concentrated near marmot burrows in the unprotected area than in the protected area. In addition, the degrees of spatial heterogeneity of vegetation and soil NO(3)-N were greater in the unprotected area than in the protected area, where disturbance was more widely distributed. These results indicate that the spatial pattern of disturbance by herbivores affects the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation and soil properties through changes in the disturbance regime. Our findings also suggest that the intensity of disturbance is more important than its size in determining community structure in Mongolian grasslands.

Clustered animal burrows yield higher spatial heterogeneity

An understanding of the relationships between spatial heterogeneity and disturbance regime is important for establishing the mechanisms necessary to maintain biodiversity. Our objective was to examine how the configuration of disturbance by burrowing rodents (Siberian marmot) affected the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation and soil nutrient properties. We established three 2500-m2 (50 m × 50 m) isolated-burrows plots and three 2500-m2 clustered-burrows plots in a Mongolian grassland. Each plot was subdivided into 4-m2 quadrats, and the plant species richness, percent coverage, and soil nutrient properties in the quadrats were surveyed. Spatial heterogeneity was calculated for vegetation using the mean dissimilarity of species composition among sample quadrats, and geostatistical analysis was used to calculate soil properties. Heterogeneous patches of plants such as Achnatherum splendens and higher nutrient concentrations were found only near the clustered burrows. As a result, spatial heterogeneities of vegetation and soil nutrient properties were higher in the clustered colony than those in the isolated colony. The configuration of disturbance patches affected the spatial heterogeneity at the landscape level through the spatial pattern of disturbance frequency.

The Endangered Siberian marmot Marmota sibirica as a keystone species? Observations and implications of burrow use by corsac foxes Vulpes corsac in Mongolia

The Siberian marmot Marmota sibirica is a social, colonial-living rodent that ranges widely throughout north- ern Asia. In Mongolia the species has declined substantially in recent years due to overharvesting for fur, meat and body parts, used locally and traded illegally in international markets. The Siberian marmot is often considered a keystone species because its burrows appear to represent an important resource for a variety of taxa, including carnivores. However, few studies have quantified marmot burrow use by other species, although such use may be important for developing conservation strategies. We monitored patterns of burrow use by 10 radio-collared corsac foxes Vulpes corsac during a study in Mongolia during May-November 2006. Corsacs used marmot burrows regularly and at rates greater than expected by chance, suggesting that burrows represent an important resource for foxes and supporting the notion of the Siberian marmot as a keystone species. As corsacs are also declining in Mongolia we contend that targeted patrols of marmot colonies in certain areas would provide a cost- effective means of protecting both species.

Estimating Siberian marmot (Marmota sibirica) densities in the Eastern Steppe of Mongolia

Siberian marmots (Marmota sibirica) have declined rapidly in Mongolia over the past 15 years; so much so, a countrywide hunting ban was instituted in 2005. In order to collect baseline data, we initially conducted transects in the Eastern Steppe in order to estimate marmot densities and distribution in 2005. We subsequently collected similar data over the next 2 years (2006 and 2007) and now present our findings and compare them across years and among aimags (administrative divisions in the Eastern Steppe). Overall, marmots and marmot burrow clusters increased in density in 2006 and 2007 compared to 2005. In addition, the percent active burrow clusters increased from year 2005 to 2006 and then stayed approximately the same from year 2006 to 2007. These findings bode well for the efficacy of the hunting ban toward efforts to recover marmot populations in the Eastern Steppe.

Effects of disturbance by Siberian marmots (Marmota sibirica) on spatial heterogeneity of vegetation at multiple spatial scales

AbstractAn understanding of the relationship between vegetation spatial heterogeneity and disturbance and its application to the management are important for maintaining biodiversity and functions of ecosystems. We examined the effects of disturbance by Siberian marmots on the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation at three spatial scales (fine, intermediate and coarse) in a Mongolian grassland. We established a 50 m × 50 m plot around five marmot mounds and another plot in an area with no mounds. Each plot was subdivided into 625 adjacent 4‐m2 square quadrats and the plants in them were surveyed. Spatial heterogeneity was calculated as the mean dissimilarity in species composition among sample quadrats in each plot. The off‐colony plant community was dominated by graminoids, but a variety of plants, including graminoids, forbs and shrubs, were present in the on‐colony plot. The slightly greater fine‐scale heterogeneity in the on‐colony plot compared to the off‐colony plot reflected the presence of either disturbed or undisturbed patch within a single measurement unit, whereas the lower coarse‐scale heterogeneity in the on‐colony plot reflected the presence of both disturbed and undisturbed patches within a single measurement unit. Our results demonstrate the possibility of using the marmot as a conservation tool in our study site as far as a plant biodiversity is targeted.

Impact of grazing regime on a Mongolian forest steppe

AbstractQuestion: What is the impact of grazing regime on plant species abundance, plant growth form, plant productivity and plant nutrient concentrations in a forest steppe?Location: Hustai National Park in the forest steppe region of Mongolia.Methods: On the Stipa steppe we applied three different grazing regimes by using; (1) one type of exclosure which excluded grazing by large mammalian herbivores, mainly takh (Przewalski horse), (2) another type of exclosure that excluded both large and small (Siberian marmots) mammalian herbivores, and (3) control plots which were freely grazed. We measured species frequencies, tiller densities, plant biomass and nitrogen concentrations of the vegetation.Results: Exclusion from grazing by takh and marmots significantly increased plant standing crop, but marmot grazing and full grazing did not show significant differences. Protection from grazing decreased forage quality, shown by a lower N‐concentration of the standing crop. However, this was solely the result of the lower live‐dead ratio of the vegetation. The frequency of the rhizomatous Leymus chinensis decreased under reduced grazing, as did the frequency of the total of rhizomatous species. The frequency of Stipa krylovii increased under reduced grazing, as did its basal areas, tiller density and tussock height.Conclusion: Reduced grazing leads to a lower abundance of rhizomatous species and an increase in tussock species.

Multiplication of Ovaries in Ctenotaenia marmotae (Frölich, 1802) (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae)

Individuals of the cestode species Ctenotaenia marmotae (Frölich, 1802) (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) possessing duplicated rudimentary ovaries toward the medial parts of the segments were found in material collected from the Siberian marmot (Marmota sibirica) in Mongolia. This tapeworm is characterized by possessing one pair of female genitals per segment. The extra rudimentary ovaries that we found ranged from 1 to 6 in number per segment and were much smaller than the main pairs of ovaries. Although multiplication of ovaries was reported to occur in a species of Diandrya (Darrah, 1930) by Rausch (1980), this is the first report of multiplication of ovaries in this species of cestode.

Marmot disturbances in a Mongolian steppe vegetation

We conducted a study in Mongolia on the Stipa steppe, which is the main habitat for the Siberian marmot ( Marmota sibirica). The marmots create mounds that differ greatly in vegetation cover. Three types of mounds were distinguished, depending on the species dominating the vegetation on the mounds: an Artemisia type of mound, Leymus type and a Stipa type. It is hypothesized that the three types of mound represent a series of succession. The activities of the marmots lead to enhanced forage quality on the Artemisia and Leymus types of mound, as indicated by increased nitrogen concentrations in the on-mound vegetation.

Small mammals of the Mongolian mountain steppe region near Erdensant: insights from live-trapping and bird pellet remains.

Relatively little is known of the distribution, abundance and ecology of small mammals in Mongolia and as a result there is scant knowledge of the effects of environmental and anthropogenic factors on small mammal populations. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of small mammals in mountain steppe habitat from live-trapping and analysis of mammal remains from raptor pellets and below nests. During live-trapping, root voles (Microtus oeconemus) were the most commonly caught species accounting for 47.5 % of captures, striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) and pika (Ochotona hyperborea) accounted for 30 % and 22.5 % of captures respectively. Temperature influenced trapping success, with small mammals appearing to avoid being active at temperatures over 20˚C. The three species caught on the trapping grid appeared to avoid competition for resources through both temporal and spatial differences in the use of available habitat. Mammals identified from raptor pellets and other remains included the grey hamster (Cricatulus migratorius), Siberian marmot (Marmota sibirica), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), long-tailed souslik (Citellus undulatus) and the Daurian mole (Myospalax aspalax). Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to the conservation of mammals in Mongolia and their co-existence with livestock and humans.