Blog - hedgerows

Insect Pollinators in decline

Insect Pollinators in decline

by Lewis, 13 April, 2019, 1 comments

The science journal Nature has published the results of another insect survey, specifically of pollinating insects. The UK pollinator monitoring scheme looked at some 353 species of bees, bumblebees and hoverflies. The survey analysed 700,000+ sightings of pollinating insects over thirty years or more (1980 to 2013). The survey yielded information about the changes in the range of these different pollinators - that is the different parts of the countryside that these insects were found in. The survey did not attempt to determine actual numbers of bees etc in an area. There were “winners and losers’ in the survey but the overall picture was somewhat depressing. Read more...

Wildlife corridors

Wildlife corridors

by Chris, 28 October, 2018, 4 comments

The term 'wildlife corridor' is used to refer to any linear feature in the landscape that can be used for migration or dispersal of wildlife. Wildlife or biological corridors offer the possibility of linking habitats and reducing the isolation of populations. Linear features vary considerably in size (in terms of width and length), they may not be continuous, for example, a hedgerow may have a gate in it or an opening to a field. The extent to which a linear feature is broken by gaps has implications in terms of its function as a corridor. Patches of natural features or a particular habitat type can also enable wildlife to disperse / migrate - the term 'stepping stones' has occasionally been applied to them. In a countryside that is becoming increasingly fragmented, the role of wildlife corridors has assumed greater importance. Read more...

feed the birds .......

feed the birds …….

by Lewis, 7 October, 2017, 0 comments

At this time of year, berries and other fruits form a valuable part of the diet of many wild animals, but particularly birds (such as blackbirds, thrushes, fieldfares and redwings) and small mammals. They will feast on berries and fruits through the autumnal and winter months. Many fruits of hedgerow and garden plants are berries. Botanically speaking, a berry is a fruit formed from the ovary of a single flower and the outer layer of the ovary wall develops into an edible, fleshy portion (the pericarp). Berries are generally juicy, rounded, brightly coloured, they may be sweet or sour, and inside there may be many pips or seeds - they do not have a ‘stone’. The tissues of the berry will be rich in sugars, starches, some protein and various minerals. Read more...

Bumblebee survival

Bumblebee survival

by Chris, 19 April, 2017, 2 comments

The warmth of recent days has seen bumblebee queens foraging among the Spring flowers. They have emerged from hibernation. They now need to feed and then find a place to create a nest. The queen will then lay eggs, which will become ‘daughter workers’. Later in the season, males and new queens hatch - they will leave the nest / colony. The new queens that are fertilised will hibernate after they have fed (heavily hopefully) on nectar and pollen from available flowers. Researchers at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the University of East Anglia, the Zoological Society of London and University College London, have been studying different generations Read more...

Trees and flood mitigation

Trees and flood mitigation

by Chris, 10 March, 2017, 0 comments

With the changing nature of our climate, so extreme events have become more frequent. The last fifteen or so years has seen significant episodes of flooding. Flooding used to be a relatively unusual event in the U.K. In consequence, efforts are now being directed at finding ways of mitigating the effects of extreme rainfall. The risk of flooding is associated with changes in our climate (notably rainfall patterns) and the techniques of land management have changed with the mechanisation of agriculture, the creation of simplified (larger) field systems, land drainage, increased stock densities etc. The U.K. landscape / countryside has altered significantly over the last fifty years. Read more...

Changing moth populations.

Changing moth populations.

by Lewis, 5 November, 2015, 1 comments

Many of the 'headlines' in newspapers etc. speak about the loss of particular species (e.g. elephants, rhinos) and whilst these are important animals and the reduction in number of any species is a cause for concern, they are not necessarily good indicators of the threats to the millions of species that seemingly pass unnoticed. In terms of sheer abundance and, indeed, diversity of form - the arthropods, and particularly the insects are unsurpassed. In order to know what is happening to our wildlife in general, it is a good idea to take a close look at what is happening to insect populations / species. Fortunately, this is possible as since Victorian times Read more...

Ground beetles - Carabids declining!

Ground beetles – Carabids declining!

by Chris, 14 December, 2012, 4 comments

There have been various articles that comment on the decline in numbers / variety of bees and butterflies, now a recent study reported in the Journal of Applied Ecology comments on a worrying decline in the numbers of ground beetles or carabids. Scientists at Rothamsted Research, working with the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology have found that some 70+ % of ground beetle species have shown a fall in numbers. The scientists monitored beetle populations at many locations throughout the U.K. over a time scale of some fifteen years. They found the decline in the abundance of ground beetles was comparable to those reported for butterflies and moths. Read more...

British hedges ( in woodlands, gardens and farms)

British hedges ( in woodlands, gardens and farms)

by Angus, 12 October, 2012, 5 comments

We British like our hedges - perhaps it's part of the British reserve, keeping people at arms' length, or maybe it's because they are very functional for keeping stock in fields and marking boundaries. For wildlife, hedgerows have long been important avenues of local migration and hedges represent their own distinct habitat. The attitude of the authorities towards hedges has undergone a roller coaster ride over the last 50 years. In the 1970s, the government were paying grants for the removal of hedges with the objective of encouraging the creation of larger fields to make agriculture more efficient - these were bad times for conservation - Oliver Rackham describes these as "the locust years". More recently grants have been available for planting hedges and their unauthorised removal in the countryside has become a criminal offence with the Hedgerow Regulations of 1997. Read more...

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