Hedgerows

 

Historically hedges were planted to define land ownership and break land parcels into manageable areas.
They create a patchwork pattern across the landscape often providing a continuous network.
Species rich hedgerows (.PDF 69.20 Kb) traditionally have stone and earthen banks and play a vital role in biodiversity both as an effective food source and a place of shelter for a range of wildlife.
Ideally they should be at least 2m wide, trimmed often with a thick base and contain occasional mature trees.

From an agricultural perspective hedges prevent the spread of disease by forming a barrier between livestock herds.

Wildlife

Linking many habitats together, hedges act as wildlife corridors and provide all year round food and shelter for insects, small mammals and birds like the priority species the yellowhammer.
Woodland and grassland herbs grow abundantly on banks.
Rural hedges predominately consist of native hawthorn with hazel, blackthorn and ash while in urban areas non native species are used, often evergreen with flowers and berries as nectar and food sources for wildlife.
Hawthorn blossom is one of the best places to find butterflies and insects on a spring day.

Distribution

Throughout the rural and urban landscape in varying forms and structures. Within the rural setting alongside all grades of roads, paths and dividing land parcels.
In urban centres hedges function as effective boundaries for property and infrastructure.

In order to adapt to modern farming practices and machinery the traditional small scale field pattern is often altered by the removal of hedges and banks.
The current health of our hedgerows can be seen in the results of the Northern Ireland Countryside Survey and our Countryside Management Scheme (PDF 8.61 Mb) aims to protect and restore our rural hedgerows.
An organistaion that is working throughout the U.K. to protect hedgerows is Hedgelink.