Hedgerows
Hedgerows criss-cross over our countryside providing vital habitat for our wildlife as well as acting as corridors for species dispersal.
The hedgerows of the UK are invaluable to our wildlife, providing home to many of our native animals and corridors to travel for others. Both of these are important to the maintenance of many species.
Hedgerows are so teeming with life that one study counted 2070 species in one 85 metre stretch. Even this was thought to be an underestimate, as many taxonomic groups were not thoroughly sampled.
We appear to be winning the battle against the outright loss of hedgerows, but evidence points to a worrying decline in hedgerow condition through poor management. If this persists, these hedges too will perish, dealing another blow to the chances of survival for all those that currently call them home.
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Great British Hedgerow Survey
This interactive survey provides an instant health check for any hedge surveyed, as well as tailor made management advice to help your hedgerow thrive. The data will help give us a national view of hedgerow health.
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Threats to our hedgerows
We are still seeing the loss of our hedgerows across the UK. With many farmland species now marginalised to hedgerows, it’s time to look at the issues that are threatening them. This is a list of the top threats to our hedgerows.
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Managing hedgerows - top tips
Hedgerows are a dynamic habitat that require management. Managing hedgerows on a cycle ensures their health and long term survival. Here are some top tips for managing hedgerows.
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What have hedgerows ever done for us?
Hedgerows aren't only great for wildlife, they also provide a wide range of benefits to farmers and land managers. Find out some of the ways hedgerows can work for us.
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Hedgerows and wildlife
The importance of our hedgerow network cannot be overstated, especially at this time where we are seeing worrying declines in our native wildlife across the board.
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The structure of a hedge
Find out more about how individual elements of hedgerow structure affect how wildlife can use them.
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A History of Hedgerows
The history of hedgerows reflects huge political change, agricultural development, invasions and riots. The hedges that criss-cross our landscape sometimes have a checkered past, their history is entwined with ours.