In today's lecture, we'll discuss the impact of urbanization on local wildlife. A key study in Melbourne found that while some species, like possums, adapt well to city life, others, such as certain ground-nesting birds, decline sharply. The researchers monitored green spaces over five years. Surprisingly, they discovered that the presence of domestic cats was a greater threat than habitat loss. However, the most effective conservation measure was not banning pets, but creating connected corridors of native vegetation between parks. These corridors allowed smaller mammals to move safely, boosting their populations by 30%.