Taucher Anouk L, Gloor Sandra, Dietrich Adrian, Geiger Madeleine, Hegglin Daniel, Bontadina Fabio
SWILD-Urban Ecology & Wildlife Research, Wuhrstrasse 12, 8003 Zurich, Switzerland.
Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland.
Animals (Basel). 2020 Sep 9;10(9):1606. doi: 10.3390/ani10091606.
Increasing urbanization and densification are two of the largest global threats to biodiversity. However, certain species thrive in urban spaces. Hedgehogs have been found in higher densities in green areas of settlements as compared to rural spaces. With recent studies pointing to dramatically declining hedgehog numbers in rural areas, we pose the question: how do hedgehogs fare in urban spaces, and do these spaces act as refuges? In this study, recent (2016-2018) and past (1992) hedgehog abundance and distribution were compared across the city of Zurich, Switzerland using citizen science methods, including: footprint tunnels, capture-mark recapture, and incidental sightings. Our analyses revealed consistent negative trends: Overall hedgehog distribution decreased by 17.6% ± 4.7%, whereas abundance declined by 40.6% (mean abundance 32 vs. 19 hedgehogs/km, in past and recent time, respectively), with one study plot even showing a 91% decline in this period (78 vs. 7 hedgehogs/km, respectively). We discuss possible causes of this rapid decline: increased urban densification, reduction of insect biomass, and pesticide use, as well as the role of increasing populations of badgers (a hedgehog predator) and parasites or diseases. Our results suggest that hedgehogs are now under increasing pressure not only in rural but also in urban areas, their former refuges.
城市化进程的加快和人口密度的增加是对生物多样性最大的两个全球性威胁。然而，某些物种却在城市空间中蓬勃发展。与农村地区相比，在居民区的绿地中发现刺猬的密度更高。近期研究表明农村地区刺猬数量急剧下降，我们提出一个问题：刺猬在城市空间中的生存状况如何，这些空间是否起到了避难所的作用？在本研究中，我们采用公民科学方法，包括足迹隧道法、标记重捕法和偶然目击法，比较了瑞士苏黎世市近期（2016 - 2018年）和过去（1992年）刺猬的丰度和分布情况。我们的分析揭示了一致的负面趋势：刺猬的总体分布下降了17.6% ± 4.7%，而丰度下降了40.6%（过去和近期的平均丰度分别为每公里32只和19只刺猬），其中一个研究区域在此期间甚至下降了91%（分别为每公里78只和7只刺猬）。我们讨论了这种快速下降的可能原因：城市密度增加、昆虫生物量减少、农药使用，以及獾（刺猬的捕食者）数量增加、寄生虫或疾病的作用。我们的结果表明，刺猬现在不仅在农村地区，而且在其曾经的避难所城市地区也面临着越来越大的压力。
