A review of the ecology and conservation of hedgerow invertebrates in Britain

This paper reviews the available information on the ecology and conservation status of invertebrates, other than butterflies, in British hedgerows. The main habitat factors of hedges that influence invertebrate diversity and abundance are identified and discussed: botanical composition, structural diversity and shelter. Landscape structure is also shown to be critical. Examination of current management issues reveals that responses of invertebrate communities to hedge cutting in particular are complex, with significant differences between taxa and time of year. Quality of the hedge-bottom vegetation, as affected by both direct management and adjacent land use, is also important for invertebrates. Overall there is a paucity of reliable data on this important element of hedgerow biota, and a need for both large-scale ecological surveys and further scientific studies. However, a number of opportunities for conservation exist, including augmenting botanical diversity, rotational cutting regimes and integrated field-edge management.