The diverse functional roles of over 6,000 species of extant mammals that range in body size
across eight orders of magnitude, from blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) to tiny …

Aim Organisms that disturb the soil while foraging or creating shelter (ecosystem engineers)
can have profound effects on ecosystems. Soil ejecta from these disturbances can enhance …

Abstract The Mongolian marmot (Marmota sibirica) is a large, endangered rodent species
that ranges across the steppe regions of Mongolia, and parts of China and Russia. Marmot …

The introduction of non‐native species can pose environmental and economic risks, but
under some conditions, introductions can serve conservation or recreational objectives. To …

Mongolians have long known of the association between marmots and the plague. We
examine their understanding of the marmot not only as a biological species that can harbour …

Herbivory is one of the important factors that influence spatial heterogeneity of vegetation in
grasslands. In this study, we focused on plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) to investigate …

With our enhanced understanding of the factors that determine biodiversity and assemblage
structure has come increasing acknowledgment that the use of an appropriate disturbance …

Important influences of burrowing animals on ecosystems are reported from several
environments. However, the impact of burrowing on alpine meadows has only been poorly …

Large-scale re-introductions of locally extinct digging mammal assemblages have been
implemented at a number of arid zone sites, with the aim of conserving mammal species and …

In the Mongolian steppes, livestock and burrowing rodents are the main animal modifiers of
the habitat. Although grazing lands and rodent habitats overlap, the combined effects of …