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