A dead hedge is a barrier constructed from cut branches,

sapling In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s, and

foliage A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ...

. The material can be gathered from activities such as

pruning Pruning is a horticultural, arboricultural, and silvicultural practice involving the selective removal of certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. The practice entails the ''targeted'' removal of diseased, damaged, dead, ...

or clearing, and in traditional forms of

woodland management Forest management is a branch of forestry concerned with overall administrative, legal, economic, and social aspects, as well as scientific and technical aspects, such as silviculture, protection, and forest regulation. This includes management fo ...

, such as

coppicing Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, which is called a copse, young tree stems are repeate ...

. Its

ecological succession Ecological succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. The time scale can be decades (for example, after a wildfire) or more or less. Bacteria allows for the cycling of nutrients such as car ...

can be a

beetle bank A beetle bank, in agriculture and horticulture, is a form of biological pest control. It is a strip, preferably raised, planted with grasses (bunch grasses) and/or perennial plants, within a crop field or a garden, that fosters and provides habita ...

hedge A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced shrubs and sometimes trees, planted and trained to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area, such as between neighbouring properties. Hedges that are used to separate a road from adjoi ...

Restoration ecology and biological pest control

In coppicing, dead hedges are useful for keeping compartments of a coppice tidy, and keeping the public from certain areas. At the same time, they can provide excellent

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s and

corridor Corridor or The Corridor may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Corridor'' (1968 film), a 1968 Swedish drama film * ''The Corridor'' (1995 film), a 1995 Lithuanian drama film * ''The Corridor'' (2010 film), a 2010 Canadia ...

s for wildlife

habitat conservation Habitat conservation is a management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore habitats and prevent species extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range. It is a priority of many groups that cannot be easily characterized in ter ...

and

restoration ecology Restoration ecology is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human interrupt ...

. They offer habitats for insects such as beetles, and

shelter Shelter is a small building giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger. Shelter may also refer to: Places * Port Shelter, Hong Kong * Shelter Bay (disambiguation), various locations * Shelter Cove (disambiguation), various locatio ...

and feeding opportunities for small mammals and birds. Dead hedges can be used to create habitats for natural 'biological control agents' to provide

biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also i ...

. They have roles in the tending of

natural landscape A natural landscape is the original landscape that exists before it is acted upon by human culture. The natural landscape and the cultural landscape are separate parts of the landscape. However, in the 21st century, landscapes that are totally ...

wildlife gardening Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted fo ...

, and

organic gardening Organic horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants by following the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety prese ...

Dead hedge in Meephill Copice April 2019 3

Agriculture

Dead hedges can provide enclosures for livestock. They can also play a role in

(for example, in

organic farming Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...

and

sustainable agriculture Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem ser ...

). Dead hedges provide a carbon-efficient way of recycling

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bio ...

, without the need for transport or burning.

Gallery

File:Syke Barrien 0032.JPG , A dead hedge on farmland (at Barrien near Syke, Germany). File:Klövensteen Waldweg mit Benjeshecke 01.jpg , A dead hedge can be seen bordering this forest path in

Klövensteen The Klövensteen is a woodland area west of Hamburg, Germany. The forest covers an area of more than . The Klövensteen is located in the districts of Hamburg in Rissen and Sülldorf and also has parts in Schleswig-Holstein namely in the towns o ...

, near Hamburg, Germany. File:Dead hedge Royal Fort Gardens, Bristol.jpg , This dead hedge in

Royal Fort Gardens The Royal Fort House is a historic house in Tyndalls Park, Bristol. The building currently houses the University of Bristol's Faculty of Science offices, the Brigstow Institute, Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research, the Cabot Institu ...

, Bristol (England) is being used as a boundary to a protected wildlife habitat. File:Kingfisher Pool, Myton Fields - geograph.org.uk - 1196614.jpg , The dead hedge alongside this cycleway is protecting a wildlife pond among the 'Kingfisher Pools' at

St Nicholas' Park, Warwick St. Nicholas' Park, commonly known as ''"St. Nick's"'', is a park is situated in the centre of Warwick, England. Bordering the park to the south is the River Avon. History The area which is now the park was once meadow land, also called St. ...

, England. File:Benjeshecke_(Illingen)_2020-05-21_(01).jpg , A dead hedge in a private

wildlife garden A wildlife garden (or wild garden) is an environment created by a gardener that serves as a sustainable haven for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens contain a variety of habitats that cater to native and local plants, birds, amphibians, ...

(in

Illingen, Saarland Illingen is a municipality in the district of Neunkirchen, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km northwest of Neunkirchen, and 17 km northeast of Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhin ...

, Germany). File:Benjeshecke.jpg , This dead hedge is made from small conifer branches placed around freshly planted saplings (in Hundorf near

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the capital and second-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as of the region of Mecklenburg, after Rostock. It ...

, Germany).

References

External links

Agricultural terminology Habitat management equipment and methods Biological pest control Environmental conservation {{Agri-stub

Restoration ecology and biological pest control

Agriculture

Gallery

See also

References

External links