Hedgerow Management
About this service
What is Hedgerow Management?
Hedgerows frame our landscape and are home to an abundance of wildlife. They are invaluable to the countryside, yet with development booming they are becoming increasingly endangered.
Following the decline of hedgerows in the 20th Century largely due to intensification of agriculture post-Second World War, they became protected under British Law. Hedges were deemed as important assets and are protected by the Hedgerow Regulations 1997 as part of the Environment Act 1995.
The benefits
The benefits of Hedgerow Management
Hedgerows act as barrier to soil erosion and runoff; they trap the sediment and prevent it from polluting water ways and depleting the field of nutrients. They can also improve biosecurity on farms by preventing ‘nose to nose’ contact with other neighbouring livestock.
Hedgerows play an important role within the farmland ecosystem, with 80% of farmland birds relying on hedges for shelter and food.
Hedges improve wildlife connectivity by being ‘wildlife corridors’, linking hedges to woodland and ponds allow wildlife to move through the landscape with a reduced risk of being predated on.
They also help to mitigate the effects of climate change by sequestering carbon. The soils under hedges are capable of storing 40% more carbon per hectare than managed grassland, due to the additional organic matter it receives from leaf litter and roots. Under The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024, hedges are required to have a 2 metre buffer from the centre of the hedge. This is to protect the hedge from field operations such as pesticide- or fertiliser-drift, which in turn protects the locked-up carbon from damage and erosion.
Services to nature
Environmental benefits to Hedgerows
Hedges offer a range of ecosystem services, from regulating water flow to preserving local heritage.
This includes improvements to water quality as hedges filter out pollutants and act as a sediment trap. They reduce flood risk by intercepting rainfall to slow the flow of surface water during peak rainfall events. Forming wildlife connectivity routes also aids pest control by providing insects and small mammals shelter, breeding and nesting sites.
With our warmer, more unpredictable summers, hedges offer shade to crops and livestock to prevent heat stress and provide shelter from wind and rain during the harsh winter months. Additional benefits include preservation of heritage of the traditional countryside landscape and softening the visual transition of farmland to woodland.
Grants available
The benefits
What makes a good hedge?
Hedges should be dense and full at the base. Close hedges are good as a livestock barrier while also being perfect nesting sites for small birds like Finches, Thrushes and Robins. A more open hedge won’t provide such a good livestock barrier, but provides habitat for bigger birds like magpies, crows and pigeons, as well as squirrels and other small mammals. Hedges provide a good over-wintering habitat as they hold on to their leaves for much longer than most trees.
Hedge management is vital for healthy hedge and wildlife populations. A hedge should ideally be cut no more than once every 2-3 years and as late into the winter as possible – never cut a hedge during bird breeding season. Less frequent cutting allows the shrubs to blossom, and bear fruit. The flowers provide nectar for pollinators and other invertebrates while the fruit that follows feeds birds and small mammals throughout the winter season.
Another important aspect of hedges is hedgerow trees: creating structural diversity for a wide range of wildlife. Hedgerow trees support a range of insects, which in turn attracts more birds and bats by providing a good food source. Smaller shrub-like tree also brings benefits due to additional flowers and berries.
Maintaining the hedge by gapping-up, coppicing, laying and interplanting with trees improves the viability of a hedge while improving carbon storage potential. Much like planting a new hedgerow, planting new trees within a hedge needs to be done in autumn or early winter: they need plenty of water to aid establishment. Planting when the tree is dormant in winter gives it time to focus on root growth rather than above ground growth without causing stress.
Hedgerows are wildlife corridors, linking different habitats together to enable safe passage without being predated on; small mammals are much more vulnerable crossing through open fields than at the base of a well-maintained hedgerow. Dormice and bats don’t like large gaps, so a well-maintained hedge network will benefit these immensely. If hedges can link to woodlands or ponds, this will greatly improve the population health and diversity on your land.
Contact Us
Who do I need to speak to?
Nathan has been involved with Countryside Stewardship scheme for many years and understands the steps to take in achieving a successful application.
He will be able to help develop a scheme suitable for your farm business, using relevant management options for the habitats and features of the land. He will also enable negotiations with Natural England or Forestry Commission, to ensure sign off for the scheme is successful.
