The place of the steppe marmot in steppe ecosystems of Ukraine: an historical approach

Abstract

All natural settlements of the steppe marmot in Ukraine are described. The vegetation of steppe marmot habitats is described and the food preferences are determined. The dynamics of the steppe marmot numbers in the Kharkov and Lugansk regions during XIX-XX centuries was traced. The process of the progressive increase of livestock pressure on potential habitats of the steppe marmot is presented. This process caused the restoration of grazing ecosystems with the steppe marmot as one of the basic components. The key role of the anthropogenic factor in the dynamics of the fluctuation of Marmota bobak populations is described.

Keywords:

• foraging
• grazing
• Marmota bobak
• population dynamics
• gully
• vegetation