One New Year’s Day, ecologist Rob Wolton came up with an unusual resolution – to spend the next 12 months studying a hedge 40 metres from his house in the middle of Devon.
‘Reservoirs of life’: how hedgerows can help the UK reach net zero in 2050 https://t.co/RsMa90YOk1
— Phoebe Weston (@phoeb0) February 2, 2021
He wanted to make a list of every plant, animal and fungus that used it.
“I thought it would take a year, but at the end of the first one I was still finding masses of new species so decided to carry on for another,” he says.
That was 10 years ago. After two years of observations he had found 2,000 species – far more than he imagined. The hedge is 20 metres from a pond, 130 metres from a native broadleaf wood, and surrounded by nature-friendly farmland, which means it is probably particularly good for wildlife – Wolton estimates that the hedge supports nearer 3,000 species in total.
“There is increasing recognition that within intensively farmed landscapes, much of the wildlife finds refuge in the hedges. But they’re much more than just wildlife corridors – they are really important as habitats in their own right,” he says.
And to conserve the hedgerows we have got!
— Kristina Kenworthy (@KristinaKenw) February 3, 2021
But hedgerows are important for other reasons too. Not only do they sequester carbon, retain soil, alleviate flooding, improve air and water quality, they are also part of our cultural landscape, part of our history and national identity.
Aggregate Industries couldn't care. The company wants to grub up some 1500m of ancient hedgerow at Straitgate Farm – hedgerows dating back hundreds of years, hedgerows up to 4 metres wide, hedgerows that are habitat for protected bats and dormice.
What would Aggregate Industries replace them with? Here's an example of the company's recent work, courtesy of Devon County Council's recent Hillhead monitoring report.
Is it any wonder we're in such serious trouble?
