Why Do Hedgehogs Need All of the Hedge?
The Big Issue
OK, so it’s an old joke, originally delivered by Dan Antopolski at the Edinburgh Fringe, if I remember correctly. I suppose, if a hedgehog could talk, it might say in response, ‘We don’t need all of the hedge, but we do need our fair share to survive.’
Every time you see a hedgerow disappear, it has a devastating effect on the local biodiversity and contributes toward climate change. This has been highlighted recently by a disturbing proposal (put through for the second time) which threatens this most important habitat in Moorhouse on the outskirts of Carlisle. This local threat is explained in more detail below, and there are links you can follow to add your support to the protest.
But in the meantime, back to the wildlife. Of course, the presence of a vast range of animal and plant species in this kind of habitat is not determined by their personal preferences as such; it’s determined by ecology and natural selection, with human interference being a big factor. It’s not controversial anymore to say that we have a massively disruptive effect on this planet’s biodiversity: from tropical rainforests, to coral reefs to river habitats. There’s probably not a single habitat that is not affected by our activities.
So, why should we be particularly concerned about hedges?
The UK has one of the highest densities of hedgerows in the world. Currently, this “patchwork quilt” covers about 500,000 km. Compare this with the 400,000 km of roads, and you can see how extensive this network is. They are a habitat in their own right, providing a home, or niche, for up to 3,000 individual species of plants and animals. A study in 2015, carried out by Robert Wolton and published in the journal, British Wildlife, showed that a single mature hedgerow contained over 10% of all British insect species recorded. As well as this, you will find a diverse range of mammals and birds such as the aforementioned hedgehog, dormice, blue and great tits, robins, house sparrows and sparrowhawks. Proportionately speaking, hedgerows punch above their weight in maintaining biodiversity for the relatively low volume they occupy.
To be clear, a mature hedgerow takes more than one hundred years to reach what is called a climax community, and will look like the examples in these pictures:
Unfortunately, only about one in three hedgerows in England are in good condition. More often than not the ones we see on our roadside look a bit like this after cutting:
Hedges are cut too severely and too frequently, which leads to loss of wildlife and gaps in species’ foraging and mating routes, together with a limiting effect on dispersal of some species. A full hedge is one that contains shrubs, taller trees, banks, ditches and low-lying ‘herbaceous’ plants.
Worse still, hedgerows are being removed at an alarming rate. Since the end of World War II until 1997, it is estimated that 320,000 kilometres of hedgerows were destroyed in the UK. Figures from the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology show that nearly 6,000 miles of old hedges are completely uprooted each year (compared with only 1,200 miles of new ones planted.) More than 3,000 more miles of hedgerows were allowed to disappear through neglect.
In 1997, England and Wales brought in the Hedgerows Regulations Act. This made us one of the first countries to provide hedges with protection. As a result of this, it is illegal to remove a hedge without permission from the council.
The local picture
I was reminded of how easily this important habitat can be lost last November, while out on a usual walk of mine on the outskirts of Brampton. Overnight, an extensive length of hedgerow bordering a field used for livestock had been uprooted.
I’ll give you that the landowner has planted about six trees in the field, but the question remains, why did the hedgerow have to go? My enquiries with the Parish Council have not yielded any answers. In addition, communication with the City Council planning department have not even garnered a reply at the time of writing.
This is not the only instance where hedgerows are becoming a casualty of development. At Monkhill Road, Moorhouse, Carlisle, up to 14 houses are proposed for the site. This will involve the removal of existing trees and reduction in the hedgerows. As you can see from this picture, the age, length and quality of the hedgerow is significant:
I’m sure these aren’t the only examples within the county.
What is Green Party policy?
The last Green Party manifesto explicitly mentioned hedgerows in its focus on a new green deal for food, farming and forestry. It says it will ‘encourage the expansion and replanting of the majority of hedgerows lost in the last 50 years through new subsidies. This will create new environments for wildlife.’
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a party in power that actively encourages the conservation of these precious habitats rather than paying lip service to a green-washed public image?
What can local people do?
1. Use your voice as a local resident and join groups that are protesting against intrusive and unwanted housing development:
Click here for the Moorhouse development:
Click here for the Deer Park development:
2. Contact the local planning department and question whether hedgerow removal notices have been properly applied for.
3. Write or email local papers: Cumberland News letters.carlisle@cnmedia.co.uk , News and Star.
Sources
British Wildlife Vol 26 No 5 June 2015 ‘Life in a hedge’ by Robert Wolton
Guardian article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/02/reservoirs-of-life-hedgerows-help-uk-net-zero-2050-aoe?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Hedgelink - http://www.hedgelink.org.uk/index.php?page=21
Govt. legal protection of hedges - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/countryside-hedgerows-regulation-and-management
Hedgerow regulations act https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/1160/contents/made
