Healthy Hedgerows
May 8th to 14th 2023 is National Hedgerow Week.
Hedgerows are a familiar landscape feature across lowland Britain. While they date back to at least the Anglo-Saxon period, the miles of hedgerow in Britain increased dramatically between the 17th and 19th centuries due to the Enclosure Acts, which split up previously communal land into private estates. Then in the 20th century came the industrialisation of agriculture, and hedgerows were cut down and dug up to make larger fields. Now, with the knowledge of how important they are for biodiversity, farmers and landowners are actively encouraged to plant and maintain them.
Our native wildlife has adapted over the millennia to make good use of hedgerows, and as such they are an ancient and important habitat teeming with life. They provide an array of vital resources for a wide range of flora, fauna, and fungi - shelter and protection from predators and the elements; safe places and materials to build nests; food (for primary consumers which eat the nuts, berries, flowers, and leaves, and for secondary consumers by being a habitat for the creatures they eat). Bats use linear features such as hedgerows as navigation lines. Crucially, hedgerows also act as connecting corridors between patches of woodland and other habitat, allowing wildlife such as dormice and hedgehogs to move around safely. One of the leading causes of biodiversity loss is habitat fragmentation - a habitat area is broken up into pieces, perhaps by a road or urban development, which can lead to wildlife populations becoming isolated and vulnerable - so keeping and recreating links between them is key in helping species recover.
While hedgerows shape our countryside, they are also incredibly important within our urban areas for people as well as wildlife. They contribute to our mental wellbeing by making spaces greener and more pleasant to spend time in, and giving opportunities for observing wildlife. Hedges absorb carbon and lock it up in the hedgerow itself, in the ground flora at its base, in the soil, and in all the life it supports. They filter and absorb pollutants in the air and soil, reduce noise, prevent soil erosion, reduce flood risk by capturing rainfall and slowing floodwater speeds, and have a cooling effect in hot weather.
Like most other habitats, hedgerows thrive and are best for biodiversity when they are managed well. If left alone, ecological succession will occur and all would eventually turn to trees. Many of our native species have adapted to use these managed habitats, and the loss of traditional management techniques and knowledge has contributed to species decline as well as the more obvious habitat destruction. As more hedgerows are planted, we must remember that the ancient management skills of hedgelaying and coppicing (and charcoal-making, so that nothing is wasted) are also still needed to maintain the hedges well and help them last for centuries.
Click here to read Hedgelink’s top ten tips for a healthy hedge.
See also: Hedgelink Hedge Hub, The Great British Hedgerow Survey, Hedgelife Help Out
