Biodiv Sci ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (8): 26185.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2026185  cstr: 32101.14.biods.2026185

• Original Papers: Animal Diversity • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Predicting the territory boundaries of the Marmota himalayana based on the Voronoi diagram model

Jialin Wang1#, Tao Wang1# , Yiyang Yuan1, Ziying Yang1, Cheng Guo2, Yi Chen3, Ying Ban4, Zuofu Xiang1,3, Ziqiang Bao1,3*   

  1. 1 College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410000, China 

    2 College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410000, China 

    3 College of National Park and Tourism, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410000, China 

    4 Sichuan Zoige Wetland National Nature Reserve Administration, Aba, Sichuan 624500, China

  • Received:2026-05-15 Revised:2026-07-01 Accepted:2026-09-10 Online:2026-08-20 Published:2026-10-21
  • Contact: Ziqiang Bao

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Abstract:

Aims: The Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) is a burrowing rodent endemic to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Accurately delineating its family territories holds both significant ecological value and practical importance for precision plague prevention and control. However, a rapid and quantifiable model for delineating family territory boundaries based on the burrow system has yet to be established.  

Methods: This study conducted field investigations in the high-altitude meadow of Duoma Village, Zoige County, and constructed a Voronoi diagram model based on the coordinates of 37 main burrows. The 701 temporary burrows observed (observation group) were compared and verified with the number of temporary burrows predicted within each polygon by the model (model group), and the validity of the model was evaluated using paired t-test, linear regression, and z-value method. 

Results: There was no significant difference between the observation group and the model group (P > 0.05), and the two groups were significantly positive correlated (R2 = 0.88, P < 0.01), with the overall validity of the model reaching over 95%. The model errors were mainly concentrated near the boundaries of the Voronoi diagram in the high-density central area of the study site, which was related to the elastic characteristics of the territory boundaries of the Himalayan marmot under dense competition conditions, while the fitting effect was better in the edge areas. 

Conclusion: We confirmed that the Voronoi diagram model based on the coordinates of main burrows can effectively delineate the family territory of the Himalayan marmot, and its “nearest-neighbor exclusive” principle basically conforms to the spatial utilization strategy of the species “core nest–peripheral activity area”. This study provides a simple and quantifiable technical solution for rapid assessment of the distribution of rodent territories based on the burrow system and had clear application value in the monitoring of marmot populations and targeted plague prevention and control.

Key words: Himalayan marmot, family territory, Voronoi diagram, plague

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