Current Status in the SW

Definition¹

Definition: Linear features composed of woody species, sometimes raised on grassy banks

Current Extent¹

The total hedgerow length in the region is unknown but the highest national densities of this resource are believed to occur in the South- West. The current UK total for hedgerows is estimated to be 450,000 km with a continued overall net rate of loss of about 5% a year and 329,000 km of this is in England (UK Steering Group, 1995)

Examples of important sites in the South West¹

Habitat Loss¹

Associated Species¹

• Foxglove
• Common Dog Violet
• Brown Hairstreak
• Small Eggar
• Dormouse
• Greater Horseshoe Bat
• Cirl Bunting
• Small eggar moth
• Brown hairstreak butterfly
• Plymouth Pear
• Wild Service Tree
• Small-leaved lime
• Balm-leaved figwort
• Bastard Balm
• Hay-scented
• Western Ramping Fumitory
• Weissia multicapsularis

Current factors affecting the habitat in the SW

The main factors causing loss and damage to the region's hedges at present are:

• Neglect (no-cutting or laying) reflecting modern high labour costs and loss of traditional skills or the belief that no management at all is beneficial to landscape and wildlife.
• Unsympathetic cutting practices, such as cutting all hedges on a farm every year, cutting during the bird breeding season, cutting ancient hedgerow trees, pollards or very old trees, sometimes for the sake of tidiness alone.
• Fertiliser and pesticide drift, or direct application, into hedge bottoms.
• Lowering of banks and removal for agricultural or development purposes, including road widening.
• Erosion of banks through heavy stocking and , alongside tracks and roads, abrasion by vehicles
• Off-site removal of eroded bank soil, or the unsympathetic replacement of such soil back onto banks
• Loss of hedgerow trees through senescence or felling, without encouraging replacements
• Arable specialisation, removing the need for hedges for stock control or shelter.
• Ploughing too close to the hedge base.
• Lack of recognition of hedgebanks as a distinctive hedge type in some national schemes.
  

In addition, the following factors have indirect effects~

• Shortage of data on extent or quality of the resource.
• Want of consensus about optimal hedge cutting methods.
• Lack of knowledge about invertebrate communities, or their management requirements.
• It remains to be seen whether support for hedges under Countryside Stewardship will be adequate especially since the closure of the Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme in February 1996, and the cutting of many local authority landscape conservation schemes due to the shortage of funds.
  
  
  
  

UK biodiversity objectives and proposed targets

Halt the net loss of species-rich hedgerows through neglect by the year 2000, and all loss of hedgerows which are both ancient and species-rich by 2005.

Maintain overall numbers of hedgerow trees within each county or district at least at current levels, through ensuring a balanced age structure

Achieve the favourable management of 25% (c47,500 km) of species-rich and ancient hedges by the year 2000, and of 50% (c95,000 km) by 2005.

South-west biodiversity objectives and proposed targets

OBJECTIVE 1

On a district-wide scale, halt the net loss of species-rich hedges (including hedgebanks) through neglect and removal* and all loss of hedges that are ancient**

TARGET : by 2000*, 2005**

OBJECTIVE 2

Within any one district, achieve the favourable management of species-rich hedges.

TARGET: 25% by 2000, 50% by 2005

OBJECTIVE 3

Maintain overall numbers of isolated hedgerow trees within each district, through ensuring a balanced age structure.

TARGET: by 2000

Current Action

Much positive action is already being taken, by a wide range of bodies, to maintain or enhance the region's hedges, as follows:

Countryside Stewardship (funding for this scheme has been steadily increased) and ESA agreements, e.g. the South Wessex Downs ESA protects hedgerows and offers grant aid maintenance.

Grant-aid from some local authorities, especially National Park Authorities.

Free farm advice from ADAS, FWAG, MAFF, Wildlife Trusts and other bodies.

No-cut field margin zones under set-aside.

Positive use of countryside designations such as AONB and Heritage Coast to attract relevant funds and initiatives.

Implementation of legislation (Regulations under the Environmental Act 1995) to protect 'important' hedges (NB Many rare or rapidly-declining species found on hedges are already specially protected under law (e.g. Wildlife & Countryside Act 1985).

Ongoing research commissioned by MAFF (form Long Ashton Research Station) into the effects of the timing and frequency of cutting on plants and invertebrates.A habitat recreational trial area in Blackmore Vale (Dorset) will be monitoring hedgerow extent and quality and encouraging conservation.

Increased awareness of the need for traditional management.

Formation of Devon Hedge Group.

Seek increased funding for hedges within local authority grants, CS and ESAs, and make CS more flexible and more attractive (by 1998)

LEAD: MAFF, LAs
PARTNERS: EN, CoCo, NFU, CLA, WTs, CPRE

LEAD: LAs
PARTNERS: WTs, EN, CoCo

Encourage planting of new species-rich hedges using locally native species (ongoing)

LEAD: MAFF, FWAG
PARTNERS: CoCo, WTs, LAs

Support development of hedgerow tree schemes (by 2000)

LEAD: LAs
PARTNERS: FWAG, CoCo, MAFF, FA, WTs

Advisory

Encourage the favourable management of hedges through, for example, providing information, holding events, demonstration farms, etc (ongoing)

LEAD: FWAG, MAFF, ADAS
PARTNERS: EN, WTs, LA

Provide training in hedge management for contractors and for the suppliers of cutting machinery (by 1998)

LEAD: FWAG, MAFF, ADAS, ATB
PARTNERS: WTs, LA, TAs

Establish baseline data at a district level on the quantity and quality of hedges through sample surveys. Monitor change at five year intervals (by 1999)

LEAD: LA's, WTs, ERCs
PARTNERS: MAFF, EN, CoCo

Promote research into favourable hedge management techniques and into their wildlife, taking into account of local differences. Ensure that the results are disseminated (by 2000)

LEAD: MAFF
PARTNER: EN, AIs

Increase the public appreciation of the importance of hedges for wildlife,as well as for farming, landscape and archaeology (ongoing)

LEAD: ALL

Promote the establishment of county hedge groups (by 1998)

LEAD: CCs, SPA, County hedge groups

Benefits

• Retention and often restoration of the agricultural value of hedges as stock-proof barriers, and as shelter for crops and stock.
  
• Enriching the visual appearance of the countryside, and so benefiting green tourism initiatives and thus local economies
  
• Creating employment through increasing the need for hedge management contractors
  
• Maintaining the archaeological and historical value of hedges.
  Helping control soil erosion
  
• Supporting beneficial invertebrates outside cropping periods, such as pollinators and predators and parasites of crop pest, so assisting agricultural productivity and the economy
  
• Improving the quality of rough shooting