Changes in the botanical diversity of a species rich ancient hedgerow between two surveys (1971–1998) Original Research Article

This paper reports on a unique resurvey of the composition of a species rich ancient hedgerow in Cambridgeshire, UK, 27 years after the original study. The hedge contained sections that were unmanaged and unaffected by agrochemicals, as well as sections which were cut annually, adjacent to an intensively managed arable field. Between the two surveys there was a general decline in species richness in all sections of the hedge, particularly in ground flora normally associated with ancient woodland. A mean of 0.42 woody species per 30-m length of hedgerow was lost in 27 years. Contrary to a priori expectation, there was no suggestion that damage was greater in the farmed section. These results highlight that zero management is not an appropriate option for maintaining the floral diversity of species rich and ancient hedgerows.