_Applied_  
_sciences_  
_Article_  
_Genetic Structure and Gene Flow in Red Foxes_  
_(Vulpes vulpes) in Scandinavia: Implications for the_  
Potential Future Spread of Echinococcus_  
_multilocularis_ Tapeworm  
[PERSON] 1, [PERSON] 1, [PERSON] 1,2,*, [PERSON] 1, [PERSON] 1,  
**[PERSON] 3, [PERSON] 1 and [PERSON] 4**  
+++ ==WARNING: Truncated because of repetitions==  
++  
Understanding the role of dispersal and animal movements is important as it not only enables the spread of individuals and genetic material among populations [1], it can also facilitate the transmission and spread of parasites and disease [3; 4]. In several species, the current understanding of the scale and consequences of dispersal is incomplete due to limited data on patterns of dispersal (e.g., rates, distances, and directionality) [5; 6]. However, rapidly advancing genetic technology, such as neutral microsatellite markers, allows for a more thorough understanding of how dispersal contributes to gene flow at several scales. These methods have been vital for gaining insight into how individual movements can contribute to both contemporary and historic gene flow and dispersal patterns [7]. Canids are known to have a propensity for long-distance dispersal, and red foxes _Vulpes vulpes_ are no exception [8; 9; 10]. Red foxes are a highly vagile species with one of the largest geographic ranges of any wild terrestrial mammal, spanning most of the northern hemisphere [11]. Although the red fox is widely distributed, remarkably little information exists regarding the genetic structure and directional gene flow among populations at local and regional geographic scales (however, see [PERSON] et al. [7], for example). Their movement capacity has direct implications for population dynamics, range expansion, colonization, and disease spread [12]. The latter is particularly important for the management of red foxes as they are known to be vectors and secondary hosts to a range of zoonotic diseases. The home ranges of red foxes in the Fennoscandian boreal forest are highly variable, ranging between 0.95-44 km\({}^{2}\) (local convex hull, LoCoH, 90%), and the longest recorded dispersal distances are up to 300 km [10; 13]. Males and females have different dispersal dynamics, where males tend to disperse at higher rates and for longer distances, whereas females are more frequently philopatric [10; 14]. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the spatiotemporal variation in dispersal patterns. In one hypothesis by [PERSON] et al. [15], relatedness to resident females is suggested to be a key determinant factor for juvenile dispersal, i.e., male dispersal is mainly driven by inbreeding avoidance and female dispersal is influenced by fitness trade-offs related to dominant resident females. In another hypothesis, resource competition was suggested as a main driver of dispersal, with more males dispersing in years with low prey availability [16]. In a third hypothesis, aggression from dominant males and the exclusion of young males from prime areas has been suggested to promote negative-density-dependent dispersal [17; 18]. A common aspect of the hypotheses is that the social structure and availability of prey and territories is likely to affect dispersal rates and the distances travelled [14]. Apart from gaining new ecological knowledge, addressing information gaps about genetic structure, gene flow, and dispersal in red foxes is important for understanding putative disease transmission and epidemics. Transmission of the endoparasite _Echinococcus multicellulararis_, which can lead to alveolar echinococcosis in humans, is currently a major concern since it is a highly dangerous zoonotic disease in humans [19; 20; 21]. Humans serve as intermediate hosts; definitive hosts are red foxes, dogs (_Canis lupus familiaris_), and raccoon dogs (_Nyctereutes procyonoides_). _E. multilocularis_ occurs throughout central Europe [22] and was first found in 2010 in southern Sweden in a shot red fox [23].