The marmots go up a little higher than in the past

Marmots today live an average of 86 meters higher than 40 years ago. Moreover, But their absolute upper limit has not moved, according to a study: they do not exceed 2700 meters above sea level. In addition, – Marmots go up little higher

(Keystone-ATS) Marmots migrate due to climate change, but not far away. However, This is what emerges from the study conducted by Anne Kempel. Similarly, biologist at the WSL Institute for the study of snow and avalanches (SLF).

The researcher studied marmots go up little higher the altitude at which the marmots live mainly currently and compared her results to data from 1982. However, Results: the majority of families of animals she observed in the Dischma valley. near Davos, live around 86 meters higher than 42 years ago, about 2,500 meters above sea level.

“But the absolute upper limit has not moved,” said the scientist, quoted Tuesday in a SLF press release. It stops at an altitude of 2700 m. This was already the case in 1982.

“Other factors undoubtedly play a greater role than higher temperatures,” notes Anne Kempel. Too high, animals would not find a soil in which to dig their very branched burrows.

In addition. during their hibernation, they need a layer of snow as thick as possible to isolate the soil of the cold. “This is precisely where most of the groups live today that we find the maximum of these parameters. ” according to marmots go up little higher the biologist.

Added to this is the fact that plants containing linoleic acid constitute an important element of food. This unsaturated fatty acid regulates body temperature in winter. However, “these plants may have slightly moved their range to the heights,” supposes Anne Kempel.

Same methods as in 1982

Anne Kempel and her team used the same methods as their predecessors in 1982. For one to two hours. they observed 25 areas on the slopes of the Dischma valley using binoculars and a long view and counted the groundhogs. IT statistical models then extrapolated the likely population of marmots and reached this result.

However, its observation only applies to the Davos region and possibly comparable areas. In the lower parts of the Alps, the situation could become difficult for these animals. Indeed, from 25 degrees, the marmots suffer from thermal stress.

In the Dischma valley. there are still on average only six days a year marmots go up little higher with more than 25 degrees, which is too little to have negative effects. The situation has nevertheless already tightened, because the limit of the forest rises slowly but surely.

“However. marmots prefer open environments, they do not adapt to the forest and as they cannot go higher, their living space is reduced,” concludes Anne Kempel. These works are published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.