The hazel dormouse has declined by over 70% in the UK since 2000. Recovery depends on restoring the connected hazel coppice habitat that this specialist species requires.
Dormice in fragmented habitats face welfare challenges from inadequate food resources, isolation from conspecifics, and increased predation risk during the active season. The energetic demands of building sufficient fat reserves for hibernation are substantial - dormice that cannot find enough food before hibernation die during winter. Habitat restoration that provides connected, diverse shrub layer maintains the conditions dormice need to build adequate fat reserves and hibernate successfully.