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UKCEH hedgerow map proven overlaid on the South Lincolnshire panorama. Credit score: Google Earth
Scientists have harnessed cutting-edge know-how to supply probably the most complete map of hedgerows throughout England. Researchers on the UK Heart for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) hope this progressive mapping will information the planting and restoration of those weak habitats to help wildlife and mitigate local weather change.
Hedges have been an integral a part of our countryside because the Bronze Age, historically demarcating boundaries and protecting out livestock. They comprise a whole bunch of plant species, present houses for nesting birds, small mammals and bugs, and may seize and retailer massive quantities of carbon.
Nevertheless, round half of Britain’s hedgerows had been misplaced between the 1940s and 1990s, largely in England, because of the growth and intensification of agriculture. Latest years have seen a brand new menace – a scarcity of upkeep, resulting in uncared for hedges or overgrown tree traces.
Dr Richard Broughton, who led UKCEH’s hedgerow mapping challenge, says: “Vineyards usually are not solely an intrinsic a part of England’s rural heritage, they can be an actual asset in serving to to deal with the biodiversity and local weather”.
About knowledge
Mapping the nation’s hedgerows is tough due to the size concerned, and former analyzes have relied on broad estimates from area surveys of smaller areas. UKCEH’s new map, derived from aerial laser scanning of the complete panorama of England, serves as a foundation for the quantity of hedgerows, in addition to offering necessary new particulars.
Not solely does it present correct info on the amount and size of hedges, it additionally reveals top measurements for the primary time – a vital indicator of hedge high quality.
The information will probably be necessary to information future habitat restoration. In its Surroundings Enchancment Plan, the federal government has dedicated to supporting farmers to create or restore 30,000 miles of hedgerows a 12 months by 2037 and 45,000 miles a 12 months by 2050.
Dr Broughton notes: “The brand new map permits us to see the place hedgerows are uncommon and establish websites for focused planting and restoration efforts, connecting habitats and bettering the hedgerow community. It can be used to estimate the potential quantity of carbon saved by the hedgerow. may take away from the environment and retailer.”
Most hedges, whether or not managed or unmanaged, are between 1 and 6 meters excessive, and new UKCEH knowledge calculates that there are 390,000 km of such hedges in England.
As well as, UKCEH has recognized an additional 67,000 km of vegetation traces beneath 1 m, which can be degraded, reduce or newly planted hedges, and an additional 185,000 km above 6 m top, which incorporates mature hedge timber and plenty of lined hedges which turned traces of youth. timber.
Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire have few massive cities and motorways, areas of hilly countryside and plenty of forests, so though they’re well-wooded counties, they’ve comparatively much less arable farmland surrounded by hedgerows.
- Laser scanning exhibits there are a complete of 390,000km of hedgerows (1-6m excessive) on England’s area borders – sufficient to go world wide virtually 10 occasions. These necessary habitats help biodiversity and retailer carbon.
- The South West boasts the best densities of hedgerows, led by Cornwall, with a median of 5.1 km per 1 km x 1 km sq..
- The bottom densities, excluding main city areas, are present in Surrey (1.2 km), Hampshire (1.5 km) and Berkshire (1.7 km) per 1 km x 1 km sq..
About know-how
The step change in hedgerow monitoring has been made attainable by the Surroundings Company’s launch of England-wide Gentle Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) distant sensing knowledge collected over 5 years as a part of its nationwide mapping work. UKCEH scientists used the JASMIN supercomputer to course of the huge quantity of information from throughout England.
Dr Broughton anticipates that advances in satellite tv for pc and drone applied sciences will enhance the standard and availability of map imagery, making it attainable to hold out detailed distant surveys extra rapidly and simply.
Extra info:
RK Broughton et al, UKCEH Land Cowl Plus: Hedgerows 2016-2021 (England), NERC EDS Environmental Info Information Heart (2024). DOI: 10.5285/d90a3733-2949-4dfa-8ac2-a88aef8699be
To deepen the significance of hedgerows, UKCEH recorded a podcast as a part of its new Counting the Earth sequence. It contains interviews with UKCEH’s Dr Jo Staley and Dr John Redhead, Devon farmer Robert Wolton and hedge layer Alex Musson.
The UKCEH Land Cowl Maps Plus: Hedgerows dataset is accessible for obtain from the Environmental Info Information Heart web site.