Marmots hit the big time

It was very exciting to see the marmot research end up on the cover of Nature. The mark-recapture program, started by Ken Armitage in 1961 and carried on more recently by Dan Blumstein, has seen a substantial increase in marmot numbers over the last 10 years. Numerous studies have documented that the world is changing. The marmot study is unique in that the scientists had sufficient data to document why the marmot populations have been changing. Marmots have been emerging from their dens earlier. Their growing season is longer and they are larger when they go back into their dens. More of them survive overwinter, leading to a larger population. Understanding why the population is changing will help scientists make predictions about how populations of other species might change in the future.

The marmot research also helps tell the story of why RMBL research is unique. For one, the study is long-term. If we want to document and understand change, we have to watch things for extended periods of time. RMBL has one of the largest collections of long-term studies and the marmot research captures that. Also, the marmot research also involves what I call “cross-generational collaboration”. In order to do research on timeframes longer than scientific careers, scientists have to be willing to share research projects. Not only was Ken Armitage willing to hand the research off, but Dan Blumstein was willing to pick it up. That may sound like a simple thing, but it is not. Dan Blumstein deserves kudos for continuing the long-term research.

Building an understanding of how a rich and subtle world works will require teams of scientists working intensively on the same ecosystems over generations. The marmot research demonstrates the power of such an approach.