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Hedgerows support a wide range of
wildlife. Typical hedgerow woody species include
hawthorn, blackthorn and hazel with standard oak trees
also sometimes present. At the base, wildflowers
including native bluebells, wild daffodils and primroses
may be found. The flowers, fruit, berries and physical
protection that hedges supply, support a variety of
insects, birds and small mammals. Bats may forage along
hedgerows, and in South Wales especially, hedges can
provide important homes for dormice, a rare and
protected species.
The value of a hedge for wildlife
is dependent on a number of factors including the
species present, age, size, structure and proximity to
other habitats such as woodlands. Ancient hedgerows over
2 metres tall and composed of native species are of most
conservation value. As a general rule the greater the
variety of shrubs and trees, the greater the value of
the hedge. The structure of the hedge is also important;
bushy hedges will support more fauna and flora than a
thin overgrown ‘leggy’ hedge, or one that is short and
tightly managed or gappy.
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Neglect is now the biggest
enemy of the hedgerow. Rates of hedgerow
destruction reduced during the 1990s, and some
hedgerows are now protected by law against
removal.
However, hedges can still be
lost through neglect and unfavourable
management. Once they have started to thin out
and become bare at the base, or comprise of
little more than an intermittent line of shrubby
trees, action is needed This may involve
rejuvenating the hedge by coppicing, or laying
and sometimes planting up gaps. Simply fencing a
neglected hedge against grazing and trampling by
stock is also a way of allowing a hedgerow to
regenerate, although this is unlikely to bring
it back into a suitable state for laying.
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How you can help protect hedges:
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Don’t cut every year but on a 2-3
year rotation in late winter (preferably January or
February).
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Avoid cutting during the bird
breeding season in April-July.
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Cut adjacent hedges in different
years.
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Coppice gappy hedges and lay
overgrown ones.
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