Effects of habitat fragmentation on the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) subpopulations in Denmark
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1
Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Aarhus
2
Department of Landscape Ecology, National Environmental Research Institute
3
Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica
Publication date: 2001-09-10
Hystrix It. J. Mamm. 2001;12(1)
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Abstract
Genetic variation in five populations of the Eurasian badger from Denmark was screened, using the hyper-variable minisatellite DNA probe 33.15. Very low genetic variability was found within populations. This lack of variability could be related to the fragmentation of the Danish landscape which reduces the effective population size of local populations and the gene flow between different subpopulations. The present paper discusses the possibility of managing the Danish badger subpopulations as a metapopulation.