Hedgerows in our Living Landscape
Jim JonesLiving Landscape OfficerSurrey Wildlife Trust Seminar Thursday 22nd May 2014
What have hedgerows ever done for us?
Ecosystem ServicesReport to DEFRA 2009 Land Use Consultants/GHK Consulting Ltd
Provisioning services
Regulating services Cultural services
FoodFibreFuel
Air qualityClimate regulation (carbon storgae)Water regulation (NFM, SUDS)Erosion (soil) regulationWater quality / purificationPest controlPollinationHazard reduction
Recreation (field sports)Cultural heritageEducationAesthetics / inspirationSense of place
Supporting servicesSoil formationPhotosynthesisPrimary production
ES Option groups Number of positive services delivered
P R C S B Tot
Hedgerows and ditches (basic and enhanced)
3 9 5 3 1 21
Woodlands 3 7 5 3 1 19
Orchards 2 7 4 3 1 17
Buffer strips 2 7 2 3 1 15
Low input grassland
2 6 4 3 1 16
Species-rich grassland
2 6 4 3 1 16
Rough grazing (basic and enahanced)
3 5 4 3 1 16
Anatomy of a hedgerowHedgerow tree-whole treePlymouth pear-rot holes hoverfly-singing and display yellowhammer-nesting holes-feeding habitat
Shrubby component-breeding site brown hairstreakhazel pot beetle-foraging habitat bechstein’s bat-nesting sitelinnet, cirl bunting-shelter/ predation dispersal/ commuting corridor hazel dormice
Hedge Margin-breedingyellowhammergrey partridge song thrushharvest mice-foragingscarlet malachite beetle
Hedge Base-foragingstag beetle -predator avoidancehedgehog-breeding reed bunting, carder bee-hibernation/ over-winteringgreat crested newt hazel dormouse sandy stilt puffballAll parts present in healthy hedgerow
Good management is the key
BAP species and hedgerows
• 125 priority UKBAP species linked to hedgerows (Wolton 2009)
• Other species of conservation concern also linked to hedgerows E.g. Small eggar moth, stoat
• Loss or decline of hedgerows impact on population
Hedgerows- The Landscape Scale
Featuresconnectivitysemi-natural habitat
Usesdispersal routes
foragingbreedingpost-breeding habitat- and climate-change related
refuge for woodland species
BAP species•hazel dormouse•hedgehog•bats•polecat
Hedgerow Loss & Stabilisation• Drastic loss of hedgerows
since 1940s– 1946-63 8000kms/year
(Pollard et al 1974).
–
• Stabilisation 1998+ Removal and neglect =planting and restoration (CS2000)
Current Status• Length of hedgerow
remains stable– 7% decline in managed
hedge– 9% increase in lines of
trees• Majority in poor
condition– 22% hedges in good
condition in 2006
Hedgerow ConditionAttribute Detail Threshol
dComment
Dimensions Height Min 1.0m Exclude bank
Width Min 1.5m Widest point of canopy
Cross-sectional area Min 3m2 Height times width
Integrity Gaps along length Max 10% Do not count gateways
No big gaps Min 5m Do not count gateways
Gap between canopy base and ground
Max 0.5m Not applicable to lines of trees
Undisturbed ground
Width of uncultivated ground from centre line of hedge
Min 2m Conforms to cross-compliance requirements in England. Hedgerow sides next to grassland automatically qualify. Not applicable to sides next to built features (including tracks, etc).
Perennial herbaceous vegetation
Width of such vegetation between centre line of hedge and disturbed ground
Min 1m The band of herbaceous vegetation can be anywhere between centre line and disturbed ground. Hedgerow sides next to grassland automatically qualify. Not applicable to sides next to built features (including tracks, etc).
Non-native species
Woody species cover Max 10% Archaeophytes (naturalised pre 1500) and sycamore count as native.
Herbaceous species cover Max 10% Archaeophytes (naturalised pre-1500) count as native.
Hedgerow Survey Handbook 2nd Edition
• Isolated hedge trees fell by 3.9% 1997-2007
• Lack of recruitment of juvenile hedge trees
Hedgerow Trees
Agricultural Intensification
• Increasing mechanization• Larger field sizes• Fertilizer and pesticide usage• Neglect and damage• Lack of traditional
management
Hedgerow Assessment 2011
• 105 hedges• 19 x 1km square (10%)• Survey volunteers trained in
Standard Methodology for Condition Assessment
• 33% were in ‘favourable condition’ (National: 22%)
• Condition failure:– nutrient enrichment– width of undisturbed ground
adjacent to the hedgerow – Integrity/continuity
Imbhams Farm, Furnace Place Estate
Soil to Plate: Grow Your Own2/3 local schools have
allotments to grow their own fruit & veg
Soil to Plate: Grow and mill Children from 5 years upwards see
wheat being grown, harvested product & milled into flour
Soil to Plate: pick & bake Using the milled flour & other
veg grown on farm children bake bread etc to complete
the journey
Habitat Management A range of activities around the farmIncluding coppicing, hedge-laying,
tree planting etc Learning to care for the land
Wildlife experiences Open to older children and adults the opportunity to badger watch etc and experience wildlife in a natural setting
Farm BioBlitz Opportunities for children & adults
to become involved in species recording and monitoring
e.g. dormice, birds etc
Wood Hub Involvement in understanding
Sustainable woodland managementfrom the habitat mgmt, to storage
and use
Sharing skills Training young people (16-25) in
countryside skills, equipping them toDevelop careers and
Addressing skills gaps in rural areas
Adult Education A series of short courses and one off talks
in partnership with other local organisations e.g. Haslemere Museum?? IT
Rural BroadbandiPads
InfrastructureTransport
Tools & storage
S J Chimbwandira 15/03/13
Outdoor Learning Provision of Forest Schools and
other LOTC opportunities Imbhams Farm & Surrey WT:
A unique & innovative partnership reconnecting
people with the countryside
Hedgerows and Natural Flood Management
• Pontbren Group, mid-Wales– Reductions in peak flow
of 40%
• Trees on the Uck (TRUCK), Sussex
• HedgeTreesPlease, Somerset
Flood management
• Policy Option 6 • low to moderate flood
risk – store water – manage run-off– increase areas of existing
wet woodlands
Arun & Western Streams Catchment Flood Management Plan 2009
Chalara fraxinea
• UK– 1.6bn ash trees outside
woodlands– 98,000km of ash-
dominated hedges in UK
• WWLP– 23% of hedgerows
contained ash – 32% of WWLP hedge trees
are ash
Future Work
• 50% of hedges in good condition
• Land management advice
• Targeted use of hedgerows for NFM
• Assessing impact of C. fraxinea on hedgerow trees in WWLP Area