Viability of European ground squirrel Spermophilus citellus (L., 1766) populations in Serbia

Evropska tekunica (Spermophilus citellus, L. 1766) je endemična vrsta za područje Centralne i Jugoistočne Evrope. Recentni areal je karpatskim masivom podeljen na dva dela. Severni deo se karakteriše uniformnim stepskim staništima koja se javljaju na malim nadmorskim visinama, dok se južni deo areala nalazi na Balkanu, gde su prisutni različiti tipovi staništa sa različitim ekološkim uslovima i na različitim nadmorskim visinama. Najveći broj populacija na području Srbije nalazi se u njenom severnom delu, tj. Vojvodini, dok je svega nekoliko malih i izolovanih planinskih populacija prisutno u istočnom i jugoistočnom delu zemlje Tekunice naseljavaju isključivo stepska staništa, livade i pašnjake koji su obrasli niskom travom. Međutim, usled intenzivnog pretvaranja stepskih predela u poljoprivredno zemljište tokom proteklih nekoliko decenija, nestala su široka prostranstva na kojima je tekunica bila kontinuirano rasprostranjena. Danas vrsta opstaje samo na jako izolovanim stepsko-livadskim fragmentima koji su sačuvani unutar dominantnog poljoprivrednog matriksa. S obzirom da broj populacija konstantno opada na celom arealu i da je budući opstanak vrste doveden u opasnost, tekunica je od 2008. godine na IUCN Crvenoj listi ugroženih vrsta svrstana u kategoriji ranjiva (VU). Zakonski status tekunice u Evropi regulišu EU Direktiva o staništima (Aneks II i IV) i Konvencija o očuvanju evropske divlje flore i faune i prirodnih staništa, poznatija kao Bernska konvencija (Aneks II). Unutar mreže Natura 2000 do sada je u režim zaštite uključeno 414 staništa koja naseljava tekunica. Na nacionalnom nivou tekunica je zaštićena zakonom kao strogo zaštićena vrsta. U cilju analize genetičkog diverziteta i strukture populacija tekunice na teritoriji Srbije, u periodu 2007-2009. godine, prikupljeno je ukupno 180 uzoraka tkiva sa 11 lokaliteta (Krušedol, Neradin, Mala Remeta, Sremska Mitrovica, Banatska Palanka, Šušara, Mokrin, Lok i Tomislavci sa teritorije Vojvodine i po jedan lokalitet sa Vlasine i Stare planine). Procena gustine i brojnosti populacija tekunice vršena je u periodu 2004- 2014. godine na lokalitetima Krušedol i Neradin koji su smešteni na obodu fruškogorskog masiva, kao i lokalitetu Banatska Palanka koji se nalazi na obodu Deliblatske peščare...The European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus, L. 1766) is endemic species to the Central and Southeastern Europe. Its recent range is divided in two main parts by the Carpathian Mountains. The northern part of the range is characterized by uniform steppe habitats at low altitudes, while the southern part is situated on the Balkan Peninsula, where different types of habitats, with different environmental conditions and at different altitudes are present. The majority of Serbian populations is located in the northern part of the country, i.e. in Vojvodina, while only a few small and isolated mountain populations are present in the east and southeastern part of the country. The European ground squirrel inhabits steppes, meadows and pastures covered with short grass. These once widely distributed habitats, which were commonly inhabited by European ground squirrels, had disappeared due to their intensive transformation into agricultural land during the past few decades. Today, species survives only in very isolated steppe-meadow fragments which are preserved within the dominant agricultural matrix. Given that a number of populations is continually declining throughout the range and that the future survival of the species is put in danger, the European ground squirrel has been protected since 2008 under the IUCN Red List of threatened species as a vulnerable species (VU). Its status in Europe is governed by the EU Habitats and Species Directive (Annexes II and IV) and the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, known as the Bern Convention (Annex II). Also, 414 of its habitats are under protection regime within the Natura 2000 network. At the national level, European ground squirrel is protected by law as a strictly protected species. In order to analyze the genetic diversity and the structure of the European ground squirrel in Serbia, a total of 180 tissue samples from 11 localities (Krušedol, Neradin, Mala Remeta, Sremska Mitrovica, Banatska Palanka, Šušara, Mokrin, Lok and Tomislavci from area of Vojvodina, one locality from Vlasina and one from Stara Planina Mountain were collected during the 2007-2009. Density and abundance of the European ground squirrel populations were estimated during the period 2004-2014 on the localities Krušedol and Neradin, which are located on the periphery of Fruška Gora Mountain, as well as on the locality Banatska Palanka, which is located on the periphery of the Deliblato Sands..