Genetic diversity of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Navadna lisica, Vulpes vulpes (red Carnivora, družina Canidae), je globalno razširjena, nenomadska vrsta, ki kaže izjemno prilagodljivost različnim habitatom in virom hrane. Domorodna je v Evropi, Aziji in Severni Ameriki. V magistrskem delu smo preučili genetsko sestavo rdečih lisic v topografsko raznolikem okolju Bosne in Hercegovine (BiH), pri čemer smo uporabili 7 mikrosatelitskih markerjev. V primerjalne namene smo prav tako vključili vzorce iz Slovenije. Uspešno smo izolirali DNA in genotipirali 59 vzorcev navadnih lisic z znano lokacijo vzorčenja. Genetska struktura preučevanih populacij je povezana s topografijo, povezanostjo habitata in gostoto navadnih lisic. Slovenske populacije navadnih lisic kažejo večjo alelično raznolikost in opaženo heterozigotnost v primerjavi s populacijami v BiH ter drugimi evropskimi populacijami, kot so avstrijske, hrvaške in italijanske. Prostorska združevanja kažejo na diferenciacijo v štiri geografsko sosednje skupine, dve v BiH in dve v Sloveniji. Z analizo povezav genetskih faktorjev smo pridobili bolj podrobno genetsko strukturo populacije navadnih lisic v BiH in s tem tudi stanje populacije, kar je pomembno za načrtovanje upravljanja s to vrsto.The red fox, Vulpes vulpes (order Carnivora, family Canidae), is a globally distributed, non-migratory species that exhibits remarkable adaptability to a variety of habitats and food sources. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North America. In this master\u27s thesis, we investigated the genetic composition of red foxes in a topographically diverse landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) using 7 microsatellite markers. For comparison purposes, we also included samples from Slovenia. We successfully isolated DNA and genotyped 59 red fox samples with known sampling location. The genetic structure of the studied populations is related to the topography, habitat connectivity and abundance of the red fox. Slovenian red fox populations show higher allelic richness and observed heterozygosity than B&H and other European populations, such as Austrian, Croatian and Italian. Spatial clustering shows differentiation into four geographically contiguous clusters, two in B&H and two in Slovenia. By analysing the association of genetic factors, we obtained a more detailed genetic structure of the red fox population in B&H and thus the status of the population, which is important for planning the management of this species