Egels

A decline in wildlife is threatening core functions of the ecosystem that are vital for human wellbeing, researchers behind an unprecedented study of biodiversity in the UK have warned. Hedgehogs, hoverflies, moths and birds are among the groups in most serious decline, with individual species under particular threat including the common red ant, red shanked carder bee and the common banded hoverfly. The findings are based on what is believed to be the biggest analysis of British wildlife ever conducted, with researchers from the University of Reading and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology looking at records covering 4,424 species, collected between 1970 and 2009. Among species considered pollinators – such as bees, moths and hoverflies – 28% are in decline, while 16% of those that act as natural pest controllers, such as ants and ground beetles, have witnessed significant losses. Dr Tom Oliver, an ecologist at the University of Reading who led the study, told the Guardian that continued losses among wildlife performing those functions would lead to significant rises in the price of food, with some food groups likely to become unavailable. “Under current trends we are moving towards the loss of species and the ecosystem functions that are vital for human wellbeing, especially pollination and pest control,” he said. “We need insects to pollinate our crops – we can’t do it by hand – and if we lose natural pest controls, less food will be available. If we lose those functions, the crops we eat won’t be able to be pollinated so the price of food would go hugely up and certain foods we wouldn’t be able to eat such as fruits including strawberries, raspberries and apples.”

Britain's hedgehog population is decreasing so rapidly that they are being driven towards extinction, a wildlife survey has confirmed. While hedgehogs were seen in two thirds of gardens (65 per cent) at least once in the course of the year, they were spotted regularly in less than a third of gardens (28 per cent) - and they were not seen at all in 20 per cent of back yards, the RSPB survey found. People were more likely to see a non-native grey squirrel than native hedgehogs, with squirrels spotted in almost three quarters of gardens (74 per cent) at least monthly throughout the year, according to information from hundreds of thousands of people. For the second year running, the RSPB asked people taking part in its annual Big Garden Birdwatch to tell them about the other wildlife they see in their garden through the year, with householders supplying information about 294,550 gardens.

Tayside has seen a huge decline in hedgehog numbers, a local charity has revealed. The Wormit Hedgehog Care Centre has taken in 98 of the prickly creatures this year — up from 52 in 2013, but still far below the 322 brought in 2008. Numbers have dipped gradually every year since then, with 268 rescued in 2009, 228 in 2010 and 103 in 2011, as well as 102 in 2012. Sandy Boyd, who runs the centre with his wife Alice, said the weather had a large part to play in the declining numbers. He said: “We’re not only rescuing fewer hedgehogs, but we’re seeing fewer of them in general. Hedgehogs are listed as an endangered species, after UK numbers dipped from an estimated 30 million in the 1950s to around 1.5 million now.

ONE of the nation’s best-loved garden creatures is in rapid decline right under our noses and needs urgent help to survive. A Somerset wildlife rescue charity is hoping to bring the plight of the hedgehog to the forefront of public attention. The hedgehog population is dwindling rapidly in the West Country, and East Huntspill’s Secret World is hoping a special open weekend will highlight the issue. Secret World founder Pauline Kidner says there were about 30 million hedgehogs in the UK 50 years ago but now it is estimated their numbers have slumped to one million. She said: “So if we carry on at this rate and positive steps are not taken to encourage them and preserve their habitats then they could be almost extinct in 10 years.”

Wenn es im Herbst ab und an in der Hecke raschelt, dann sucht wahrscheinlich ein kleiner Igel Deckung und wühlt sich unter die Blätterhaufen. Vielleicht sucht er hier auch nach einer Schnecke, um seinen Hunger zu vertreiben. Roland Seime ist der Mann, der sich im Saale-Holzland-Kreis und Jena um Igeljunge kümmert, die den Herbst alleine nicht überleben würden. Er nimmt sie bei sich auf und pflegt sie in seiner Igelstation in Jena-Winzerla. Zur Zeit wachen seine kleinsten Igeljungen aus dem Winterschlaf auf. "Sie haben Hunger und müssen fressen", sagt er. Die kleinen Tiere sind auf Futtersuche, weshalb es sein kann, dass man sie am Tag auch in der freien Wildbahn sieht. Denn eigentlich sind Igel nachtaktiv und wollen sich tagsüber verstecken und schlafen. Roland Seime hält zwei Jungtiere in seinen Händen, die es jeweils gerade einmal auf 400 Gramm bringen. "Sie sind schon wach, um nach Nahrung zu suchen", sagt er. "Sonst würden sie nicht überleben."

Neonicotinoid insecticides are a relatively new, but widely-used, class of systemic, water-soluble nerve poisons. They are readily incorporated into all plant cells, as well as pollen and nectar. They act by binding to acetylcholine receptors of plant-feeding insects, inducing depolarization of motor neurons, tetanic contractions, neuromuscular destruction and death. Non-target plant-feeding insect groups (e.g., bees, certain moths and butterflies) exposed to these insecticides are at risk. Declines in these insect groups are well documented, while noting that these declines can be attributed to habitat loss and invasive species as well as to pollution from neonicotinoid insecticides and other agricultural chemicals. In many agricultural areas, populations of animals that rely on plant-feeding insects as food sources (e.g., birds, bats, amphibians, predatory insects) are also declining.