Hedgehogs in greater London: Viability of fragmented populations in urban environments

西欧刺猬（Erinaceus europaeus）在英国和整个中欧地区正在迅速减少。城市环境正成为该物种越来越重要的栖息地，由于更高的食物供应，增加筑巢机会，并减少来自捕食者的压力。然而，城市环境与自然景观截然不同，严重的栖息地丧失和破碎化对野生动物种群的长期生存构成挑战。在伦敦，刺猬数量正在下降，在市中心已经崩溃，摄政公园只剩下一只。了解破碎的城市环境对刺猬种群的影响对于有效的保护管理至关重要，但研究甚少。该项目旨在解决这一知识差距，结合生态学和遗传学的方法，以确定如何城市景观形状刺猬分布，遗传结构和连接在大伦敦，提供宝贵的见解，为未来的管理，这种魅力的物种在城市环境中。

The western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is declining rapidly in the UK and across central Europe. Urban environments are becoming increasingly important habitats for the species, due to higher food availability, increased nesting opportunities, and reduced pressure from predators. Yet, urban environments are very different to natural landscapes, with severe habitat loss and fragmentation posing challenges for the long-term survival of wildlife populations. In London, hedgehog populations are declining and have collapsed in the city centre, with a single remaining population in Regents Park. Understanding the impact of fragmented urban environments on hedgehog populations will be vital for effective conservation management but has been little studied. This project aims to address this knowledge gap, combining ecological and genetic approaches to identify how the urban landscape shapes hedgehog distributions, genetic structure, and connectivity across greater London, providing valuable insights for the future management of this charismatic species in urban environments.