Study characteristics.
| Reference | Geographic region | Study design | Intervention type | Comparator | Focal biodiversity group | Outcome | Sampling methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy et al. (2015) | East and SE England; lowland arable | Randomised block experiment across 4 sites | Rejuvenation techniques: Midland- style hedgelaying, Conservation hedgelaying, Wildlife hedging, Circular saw re-shaping Applied randomly to 15m contiguous plots of hedgerows that had received minimal management in the years preceding 2-3 replications per site (dependent on hedge length); n = 10 experimental blocks Measured foliage biomass, nutrient content and hedge gappiness | Unmanaged control hedge | Invertebrates (general) | Abundance (scaled by height of hedge plot) | Plots sampled during May, July and September 2011 Canopy beaten 5 times at intervals of 3m, 6m and 9m along hedge plot Identified to order/family and assigned as predator, herbivore or detritivore Leaf samples taken using 3D quadrats (4 per plot) for biomass value. Carbon and Nitrogen content measured from samples of Crataegus monogyna leaves and digital photographs taken for each treatment |
| Dover et al. (2000) | South, NW (England) and Yorkshire; mostly arable | Replicated observations; 2 out of 3 sites used for data extraction | Comparisons between green lanes (inside and outside), hedgerows, grass banks and woodland rides Warburton: 53 sections; grass banks (n = 12), hedgerows (n = 16), outside green lanes (n = 16), inside green lanes (n = 9) Manydown: Data on field boundaries used from surveys carried out in 1987 and 1988; 1987 – grass banks (n = 3), hedgerows (n = 4); 1988 – grass banks (n = 4), hedgerows (n = 8), woodland rides (n = 15) and green lane (n = 6 sections in both years) Also took records of adjacent crops, nectar plants, windspeed (4/5 visits) and length of section at Warburton | Grass banks and hedgerows not associated with green lanes | Butterflies | Abundance Species richness | Standard transect butterfly recording used at sites; butterflies also recorded as ‘open’ or ‘closed’ population species Warburton: records made between July-August 1997 on 5 visits Manydown: records made from 100m length sections between May- September, 13 visits in 1987 and 10 visits in 1988 |
| Facey et al. (2014) | East England; Cambridgeshire; assumed arable due to management ‘post-harvest’ | 2 experimental treatments with random factorial design | Cutting frequency: annual, biennial, triennial Timing: post-harvest autumn or winter (Jan/Feb) 3x 200m hedges separated by 50m – in 2005 these were split into n = 32 contiguous plots of 15m each; each 15m plot randomly treated Replications of the 6 treatment combinations occurred 8 (for annual cutting) or 4 (for biennial/ triennial) times 3m at each plot end not sampled in case of edge effects Also measured: hedge height and width, foliage biomass, branch length and density, C:N ratio | No control, but replications of treatment combinations | Moths (larvae) | Abundance Species richness | 2 methods: 3 minute search and collection in a 1m x 0.5m quadrat at 1.5m above ground, 5m and 10m along the plot Hedge beaten 3 times at 0.8m above ground at two locations that weren’t 5m or 10m along the hedge Larvae divided into free-living or concealed groups and reared to determine parasitism Range poles used to measure height and width, quadrats used to measure foliage biomass and branch variables. 3x growing and thorn tips and leaf rosettes used to measure C:N |
| Fuentes- Montemayor et al. (2011) | Central Scotland; arable and mixed farms | Matched pairs design; conventional vs AES- implemented farms | 18 pairs of AES managed vs conventional farms (arable, n = 7; pastoral = 2; mixed = 9; note – pastoral farm data not extracted) All pairs have at least 3 of the following features either managed through AES or conventionally managed (Only hedgerow and field margin data were extracted): Field margins/beetle banks Hedgerows Water management Species-rich grassland Also measured: landscape analysis | Conventional counterparts for each habitat feature | Moths | Abundance Species richness | Pairs of farms within 8km of each other and had same farming type. Pairs sampled once in 2008 at the same time – minimising weather effects Moths caught using light traps (3-4 per farm) >=100m apart 122 trap samples: 61 for AES farms, 61 for conventional farms → hedgerows (n = 26), field margins (n = 30) Landscape analysis using GIS at 3 spatial scales (250m, 500m, 1km) from light trap → classified topography into urban, farmland, water, semi-natural land and woodland |
| Moonen & Marshall (2001) | SW England; Wiltshire | Observational; 2 matched adjacent sites but with differing management regimes | Noland’s farm:
Manor farm:
| Comparison between farms; no control | Plants | Abundance – calculated as a % per hedge on each farm Species richness | 25m plots used either side of hedge (each assessed site = 1 relevée) Hedge bottom, tree layer and shrub layer vegetation assessed using Tansley scale (1 = rare, 5 = dominant) in June 1996 24 environmental variables: boundary structure (n = 5), management (n = 11), adjacent features (n = 8); assessed using RDA and PCA Noland’s farm → 23 hedgerows (n = 43; 3 relevées not sampled) Manor farm → 37 hedgerows(n = 74) Total of n = 117 relevées |
| Pywell et al. (2005) | S/C England; Oxfordshire; mostly arable | Experimentally replicated across 4 habitats | Mature hedge base (40-60yrs) Newly planted hedge base (2-5yrs) Mature field margin (~50yrs) Newly sown field margin (2-5yrs) Also measured: dry matter (DM) yield from surface vegetation clippings (4/12 soil cores) and soil organic carbon (SOC) | 5 replicates for each habitat type; separate fields (n = 11), same field (n = 9) 16 of the sites → arable boundary 4 sites → boundary between arable and leys | Beetles, spiders | Abundance (log transformed) Species richness (mean) and cumulative richness Also: Simpson’s diversity | February 2002 70m plot in each replicate 12 soil cores (12cm deep) every 5m along plot length Invertebrates searched for in soil core samples for 10 minutes |
| Sparks et al. (1996) | S England; Cambridgeshire; former arable, now hay silage | Randomised with unequal replication | Uncut (n = 3), laid professionally (n = 4) or coppiced (n = 5) | Unequal replications of treatments for each plot | Butterflies (B), birds (BI), pitfall trap inverts (I) and plants (P) | Mean abundance Mean species richness and Simpson’s index | One hawthorn hedge divided into 12 experimental plots, each ~20m Random allocation of treatment to plots B → Surveys on both hedge sides using Butterfly Monitoring Scheme methods. 19 visits (April – September 1995) and recordings taken to 5m from centre of hedge. Simpson’s diversity measure used. BI → Monthly visits between March – August, bird positions mapped, and hedges searched for nests I → 3 pitfall traps set per plot (central hedge and 5m each side of midpoint) over 8 weeks ending mid-October, samples per plot pooled P → July 1995 survey of hedge- bottom and woody species using 5 2m 2 quadrats along middle 10m of hedgerow. Quadrats averaged to get ground cover estimate. Some plots recorded canopy species. |
| Staley et al. (2016) | S England; Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Devon Not stated in paper but further research suggests predominantly arable sites | Full factorial hedgerow treatment across 5 sites | Cutting frequency: annual, biennial, triennial Timing: early autumn, late winter Intensity: standard, incremental Also measured: Hedgerow woody vegetation height | 1 control plot in each block with no management | Lepidoptera (larvae and pupae – labelled as ‘vulnerable’ or ‘robust’ for susceptibility to treatment) | Abundance (scaled by height), translated into cumulative abundance (2011-2013) Species richness for ‘vulnerable’ and ‘robust’ Lepidoptera depending on life stage and location in September (corresponding to autumn-cut) Also: Shannon- Wiener diversity index | 5 farm sites with 3 randomised block experiments each – each block divided into 20m contiguous hedgerow plots Ful factorial assignment of hedgerow management treatments in each block Total replications of factorial combinations affected by Waddeston site with blackthorn hedge as some length wasn’t suitable: n = 15 for autumn cut, n = 12 for winter cut (3 blocks missing due to Waddeston) Larvae and pupae collected in May 2011-2013; guttering inserted into hedge 80cm above ground and beaten 5 times, repeated at 5m, 10m and 15m along plot |
| Reference | Geographic region | Study design | Intervention type | Comparator | Focal biodiversity group | Outcome | Sampling methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East and SE England; lowland arable | Randomised block experiment across 4 sites | Rejuvenation techniques: Midland- style hedgelaying, Conservation hedgelaying, Wildlife hedging, Circular saw re-shaping Applied randomly to 15m contiguous plots of hedgerows that had received minimal management in the years preceding 2-3 replications per site (dependent on hedge length); n = 10 experimental blocks Measured foliage biomass, nutrient content and hedge gappiness | Unmanaged control hedge | Invertebrates (general) | Abundance (scaled by height of hedge plot) | Plots sampled during May, July and September 2011 Canopy beaten 5 times at intervals of 3m, 6m and 9m along hedge plot Identified to order/family and assigned as predator, herbivore or detritivore Leaf samples taken using 3D quadrats (4 per plot) for biomass value. Carbon and Nitrogen content measured from samples of | |
| South, NW (England) and Yorkshire; mostly arable | Replicated observations; 2 out of 3 sites used for data extraction | Comparisons between green lanes (inside and outside), hedgerows, grass banks and woodland rides Warburton: 53 sections; grass banks (n = 12), hedgerows (n = 16), outside green lanes (n = 16), inside green lanes (n = 9) Manydown: Data on field boundaries used from surveys carried out in 1987 and 1988; 1987 – grass banks (n = 3), hedgerows (n = 4); 1988 – grass banks (n = 4), hedgerows (n = 8), woodland rides (n = 15) and green lane (n = 6 sections in both years) Also took records of adjacent crops, nectar plants, windspeed (4/5 visits) and length of section at Warburton | Grass banks and hedgerows not associated with green lanes | Butterflies | Abundance Species richness | Standard transect butterfly recording used at sites; butterflies also recorded as ‘open’ or ‘closed’ population species Warburton: records made between July-August 1997 on 5 visits Manydown: records made from 100m length sections between May- September, 13 visits in 1987 and 10 visits in 1988 | |
| East England; Cambridgeshire; assumed arable due to management ‘post-harvest’ | 2 experimental treatments with random factorial design | Cutting frequency: annual, biennial, triennial Timing: post-harvest autumn or winter (Jan/Feb) 3x 200m hedges separated by 50m – in 2005 these were split into n = 32 contiguous plots of 15m each; each 15m plot randomly treated Replications of the 6 treatment combinations occurred 8 (for annual cutting) or 4 (for biennial/ triennial) times 3m at each plot end not sampled in case of edge effects Also measured: hedge height and width, foliage biomass, branch length and density, C:N ratio | No control, but replications of treatment combinations | Moths (larvae) | Abundance Species richness | 2 methods: 3 minute search and collection in a 1m x 0.5m quadrat at 1.5m above ground, 5m and 10m along the plot Hedge beaten 3 times at 0.8m above ground at two locations that weren’t 5m or 10m along the hedge Larvae divided into free-living or concealed groups and reared to determine parasitism Range poles used to measure height and width, quadrats used to measure foliage biomass and branch variables. 3x growing and thorn tips and leaf rosettes used to measure C:N | |
| Central Scotland; arable and mixed farms | Matched pairs design; conventional vs AES- implemented farms | 18 pairs of AES managed vs conventional farms (arable, n = 7; pastoral = 2; mixed = 9; note – pastoral farm data not extracted) All pairs have at least 3 of the following features either managed through AES or conventionally managed ( Field margins/beetle banks Hedgerows Water management Species-rich grassland Also measured: landscape analysis | Conventional counterparts for each habitat feature | Moths | Abundance Species richness | Pairs of farms within 8km of each other and had same farming type. Pairs sampled once in 2008 at the same time – minimising weather effects Moths caught using light traps (3-4 per farm) >=100m apart 122 trap samples: 61 for AES farms, 61 for conventional farms → hedgerows (n = 26), field margins (n = 30) Landscape analysis using GIS at 3 spatial scales (250m, 500m, 1km) from light trap → classified topography into urban, farmland, water, semi-natural land and woodland | |
| SW England; Wiltshire | Observational; 2 matched adjacent sites but with differing management regimes | Noland’s farm: - Hedges cut annually - - Hedge bottom cut and treated with herbicides - No coppicing or gapping up - 0.5m sterile strip - Granular fertiliser used (spinning disk) Manor farm: - Hedges trimmed in alternate years - - Hedge bottom not cut and local herbicide treatment - Some coppicing and gapping up (9 hedges) - Sown strips at field edges, 2m or 20m - Liquid fertiliser used (no drift) | Comparison between farms; no control | Plants | Abundance – calculated as a % per hedge on each farm Species richness | 25m plots used either side of hedge (each assessed site = 1 relevée) Hedge bottom, tree layer and shrub layer vegetation assessed using Tansley scale (1 = rare, 5 = dominant) in June 1996 24 environmental variables: boundary structure (n = 5), management (n = 11), adjacent features (n = 8); assessed using RDA and PCA Noland’s farm → 23 hedgerows (n = 43; 3 relevées not sampled) Manor farm → 37 hedgerows(n = 74) Total of n = 117 relevées | |
| S/C England; Oxfordshire; mostly arable | Experimentally replicated across 4 habitats | Mature hedge base (40-60yrs) Newly planted hedge base (2-5yrs) Mature field margin (~50yrs) Newly sown field margin (2-5yrs) Also measured: dry matter (DM) yield from surface vegetation clippings (4/12 soil cores) and soil organic carbon (SOC) | 5 replicates for each habitat type; separate fields (n = 11), same field (n = 9) 16 of the sites → arable boundary 4 sites → boundary between arable and leys | Beetles, spiders | Abundance (log transformed) Species richness (mean) and cumulative richness Also: Simpson’s diversity | February 2002 70m plot in each replicate 12 soil cores (12cm deep) every 5m along plot length Invertebrates searched for in soil core samples for 10 minutes | |
| S England; Cambridgeshire; former arable, now hay silage | Randomised with unequal replication | Uncut (n = 3), laid professionally (n = 4) or coppiced (n = 5) | Unequal replications of treatments for each plot | Butterflies (B), birds (BI), pitfall trap inverts (I) and plants (P) | Mean abundance Mean species richness and Simpson’s index | One hawthorn hedge divided into 12 experimental plots, each ~20m Random allocation of treatment to plots B → Surveys on both hedge sides using Butterfly Monitoring Scheme methods. 19 visits (April – September 1995) and recordings taken to 5m from centre of hedge. Simpson’s diversity measure used. BI → Monthly visits between March – August, bird positions mapped, and hedges searched for nests I → 3 pitfall traps set per plot (central hedge and 5m each side of midpoint) over 8 weeks ending mid-October, samples per plot pooled P → July 1995 survey of hedge- bottom and woody species using 5 2m 2 quadrats along middle 10m of hedgerow. Quadrats averaged to get ground cover estimate. Some plots recorded canopy species. | |
S England; Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Devon Not stated in paper but further research suggests predominantly arable sites | Full factorial hedgerow treatment across 5 sites | Cutting frequency: annual, biennial, triennial Timing: early autumn, late winter Intensity: standard, incremental Also measured: Hedgerow woody vegetation height | 1 control plot in each block with no management | Lepidoptera (larvae and pupae – labelled as ‘vulnerable’ or ‘robust’ for susceptibility to treatment) | Abundance (scaled by height), translated into cumulative abundance (2011-2013) Species richness for ‘vulnerable’ and ‘robust’ Lepidoptera depending on life stage and location in September (corresponding to autumn-cut) Also: Shannon- Wiener diversity index | 5 farm sites with 3 randomised block experiments each – each block divided into 20m contiguous hedgerow plots Ful factorial assignment of hedgerow management treatments in each block Total replications of factorial combinations affected by Waddeston site with blackthorn hedge as some length wasn’t suitable: n = 15 for autumn cut, n = 12 for winter cut (3 blocks missing due to Waddeston) Larvae and pupae collected in May 2011-2013; guttering inserted into hedge 80cm above ground and beaten 5 times, repeated at 5m, 10m and 15m along plot |
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