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，因为有更多的食物供应，更多的筑巢机会，以及来自捕食者的压力减少。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了挑战。在伦敦，刺猬的数量正在下降，在市中心已经崩溃，在摄政公园只剩下一个种群。了解碎片化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，但研究很少。该项目旨在解决这一知识缺口，结合生态学和遗传学方法，确定城市景观如何影响大伦敦地区的刺猬分布、遗传结构和连通性，为未来城市环境中这种魅力物种的管理提供有价值的见解。

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.