The species of hedgehogs are on the edge of extinction in the uk.
According to this article: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/hedgehogs-almost-half-of-people-in-uk-have-never-seen-much-loved-mammal-in-their-garden-survey-says-a6902286.html their population has radically decreased over the last 13 years. The decline of about 30 percent has occurred since 2003.
Hedgehogs are one of the most important consumer heterotrophs in the environment. This is because hedgehogs get their essential organic nutrients by feeding on other living organisms by ingestion. These living organisms are autotrophs, such as caterpillars and slugs. Such pests are a major enemy to gardeners as they consume the plants surrounding their habitat, which are grown especially for harvesting.
By estimation the numbers of the species have fallen from 36 million in the 1950s to almost less than a million in 2016.
However, there is a hope for the survival of hedgehogs, as people seem to be keen on saving the animals. Seven out of 10 people said they would be happy to cut a hole in their garden fences to allow hedgehogs to roam more freely to help halt their demise. This aims to reduce the negative abiotic factors which are the non-living physical man made attributes on the ecosystem, which are restricting the hedgehogs.
The article also gives advice to the reader on how to cultivate the numbers of the beloved animal. These include: planting hedges, cutting holes under fences, making ponds safe, not using slug pellets, leaving out dog or cat food but avoiding bread and milk which can kill hedgehogs.
According to this article: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/hedgehogs-almost-half-of-people-in-uk-have-never-seen-much-loved-mammal-in-their-garden-survey-says-a6902286.html their population has radically decreased over the last 13 years. The decline of about 30 percent has occurred since 2003.
Hedgehogs are one of the most important consumer heterotrophs in the environment. This is because hedgehogs get their essential organic nutrients by feeding on other living organisms by ingestion. These living organisms are autotrophs, such as caterpillars and slugs. Such pests are a major enemy to gardeners as they consume the plants surrounding their habitat, which are grown especially for harvesting.
By estimation the numbers of the species have fallen from 36 million in the 1950s to almost less than a million in 2016.
However, there is a hope for the survival of hedgehogs, as people seem to be keen on saving the animals. Seven out of 10 people said they would be happy to cut a hole in their garden fences to allow hedgehogs to roam more freely to help halt their demise. This aims to reduce the negative abiotic factors which are the non-living physical man made attributes on the ecosystem, which are restricting the hedgehogs.
The article also gives advice to the reader on how to cultivate the numbers of the beloved animal. These include: planting hedges, cutting holes under fences, making ponds safe, not using slug pellets, leaving out dog or cat food but avoiding bread and milk which can kill hedgehogs.