HEDGEROW MANAGEMENT SURVEY - Field Hedgerow Survey, Feb. 2000
1. / Farmer’s name: / Address:Site ref. no. / (inc. county)
2.Hedge structure
Hedge 1 / Hedge 2 / Hedge 3 / Hedge 4 / Hedge 5Hedge length (m) (approx.)
Hedge shape (see below)
Fence (tick) / a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b
Ditch (tick) / a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b
Bank (tick) / a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b
Height (m)(estimated)
Width (m)(estimated)
Ht. of lowest branches
% gaps, in canopy (>1 m)
Field margin width (arable)
Hedge shape / B = box-shaped / A = ‘A’-shaped / C = chamfered / UT = untopped
PB = pointed box-shaped / TA = topped ‘A’ / R = round topped
3.Management [Enter ticks- as appropriate]
Time of trimming: / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / Faces trimmed: / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5very recent / one side
during this autumn/winter / both sides
not this autumn/winter / top
Other management: / other
recent laying (last few years)
past laying
recent coppicing
other
4.Adjacent cropping [Enter appropriate code letters - see below)
Hedge 1 / Hedge 2 / Hedge 3 / Hedge 4 / Hedge 5a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b
Grassland
Arable/horticultural
Non-agricultural
Grassland / I. Improved / S. Semi-improved / U. Unimproved / G. Grazed / N. Not grazed
Arable/hortic. / A. Annual (winter) e.g. cereals, potatoes, veg. / S. Stubble / C. Cultivated / P. Perennial e.g. fruit, SRC
Non-agric. / T. Track, road / F. Footpath / W. Woodland / O. Other (specify)
5.Number of woody and climbing species (30 m central section of hedge) [Enter tick for each species found]
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5hawthorn / elm
blackthorn / elder
hazel / bramble
beech / others (name):
field maple
rose
oak
ash / TOTAL SPP.
Farm: / County (D/L/Y): / Site ref.
6.Hedge type - by woody species composition (considering whole hedgerow length)
[Enter one tick per hedge]
Hedge type / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 53 / Beech dominant
4a / Hawthorn dominant
4b / Mixed hawthorn
4c / Elder/hawthorn
5b / Mixed hazel predominant
6 / Blackthorn predominant
7 / Elm predominant
X / Other (describe)
7.Floral composition of hedge bottom (30 m central section). Tick all groups abundant in hedge bottom.
Hedge 1 / Hedge 2 / Hedge 3 / Hedge 4 / Hedge 5a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b / a / b
Arable weeds e.g. cleavers, sterile brome
Grassland weeds e.g. nettles, thistles, docks
Intensive pasture grasses e.g. Lolium perenne
Coarse grasses e.g. Arrhenatherum elatius
Wildflowers e.g. woodland indicators
Bare soil
% bare soil in hedge bottom *
% cleavers cover in hedge bottom *
% nettle cover in hedge bottom *
* Enter estimate of % cover (at time of assessment) to nearest 2% if < 10% or to nearest 5% if > 10% cover. Enter “p” (present) if estimated cover is 0-1%.
8.Hedgerow trees in whole hedgerow length [Enter no. of trees in each category]
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5Mature ( 30 cm DBH*)
Semi-mature (10 - 30 cm DBH)
Saplings ( 10 cm DBH)
* DBH = stem diameter at ‘breast height’ (1.3 m). Score multi-stemmed trees (e.g. from coppice) as single tree with DBH that of largest stem.
NOTES:
(Please include some general remarks about the hedgerows across the farm as a whole, e.g. condition, current management, etc.)
ADAS Surveyor ...... Survey Date: ......
PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED FORMS, WITH FARMER QUESTIONNAIRE, PROMPTLY TO CHRIS BRITT/SIMON McMILLAN AT ADAS, MAFF DRAYTON
HEDGEROW MANAGEMENT SURVEY (VMAEP)
FIELD HEDGEROW SURVEY 2000 - INSTRUCTIONS FOR SURVEYORS
1.SELECTION OF HEDGEROWS
Immediately after completion of the face-to-face questionnaire, five hedgerows* should be identified for survey. These should be determined with the assistance of information given by the farmer. All surveyed hedgerows must be more than 50 m in length.
If applicable,hedgerows will be selected from each of the following groups:
Type 1: Adjacent cropping is grassland on both sides.
Type 2: Adjacent cropping is arable on both sides.
Type 3: Adjacent cropping is grassland on one side and arable on the other.
Type 4: Hedgerow is alongside a right of wayused for vehicular traffic.
Select hedgerows to broadly represent the land use on each individual farm. For example:
- If farm is wholly grassland, select four hedges of Type 1 and one of Type 4.
- If farm is wholly arable, select four hedges of Type 2 and one of Type 4.
- If farm is predominantly arable, but with a little grass, select three hedges of Type 2, one of Type 1 and one of Type 4.
- If farm is approximately half arable and half grass, select two hedges of Type 3, and one each of Types 1, 2 and 4 [unless areas of grassland and arable on the farm are fairly discrete, when it might be more appropriate to choose two of Type 1, two of Type 2 and one each of Types 3 and 4].
Briefly discuss overall cropping patterns with the farmer, to assist your choice of sample hedges - but do not allow him/her to make the final decision for you on which hedgerows are to be surveyed. This should depend mainly on:
a)Adjacent cropping i.e. hedgerow ‘Types’ required (see above)
b)Need to choose hedgerows that appear to be fairly representative of the majority of that ‘Type’ (on that farm) e.g. in terms of hedgerow composition, structure and management and field boundary management. AVOID ATYPICAL HEDGEROWS.
c)‘Random’ choice from suitable hedges available in the vicinity.
Having determined the location of each hedgerow to be surveyed complete the Field Hedgerow Survey form.
2.SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ON COMPLETION OF THE FIELD HEDGEROW SURVEY FORM
Section 2: Hedge structure
- The average height and width of each surveyed hedgerow should be estimated (ignoring any of the previous year’s hedge growth that has yet to be trimmed off).
- Estimates based simply on visual assessment should be adequate, but a graduated stick/rule of some kind might be useful.
- If a small proportion of the total hedge length (say < 20%) is much taller/wider or shorter/narrower than the rest of the hedge, ignore this ‘atypical’ section when estimating average height/width.
- Estimated average widths should be those for the widest part of the hedge (whilst ignoring ‘atypical’ thick sections).
- The average height of the lowest branches should be estimated to determine the height of the canopy above the ground. Estimate average distance from ground to bottom of side shoot (where it arises from main stem/trunk). Average ht. quoted should indicate the ht. at which large numbers of side shoots are found along most of the hedge length (i.e. ignore if there are small numbers of ‘atypical’ shoots arising from low level).
- Ignore all gaps < 1 m wide when estimating overall % gaps.
- Sections of hedgerow where the only ‘woody’ structure is provided by bramble should be regarded as ‘gaps’.
- Field margin widths should only be estimated for arable field margins. Field margin width is the distance between the edge of the cultivated land and the start of the ‘hedge-bottom’ (i.e. point vertically below shrub canopy, ignoring any of the previous year’s hedge growth that has yet to be trimmed off).
Section 3:
- “Very recent” trimming means probably within past four weeks.
- “Recent laying” means within the last few (10?) years.
- “Past laying” - can include those with clear evidence of laid stems, even if this might not have been undertaken for many years.
- “Recent coppicing” - as for “recent laying”.
Section 4:
- Use the code letters in conjunction with the three categories given (grassland, arable/hortic./non-agricultural) to indicate adjacent land use for each side (a and b) of each hedgerow, under the appropriate sub-heading
e.g. if hedgerow 2 has a growing crop of winter wheat on one side and uncultivated stubble on the other, record ‘A’ and ‘S’ for sides a and b respectively, both in the ‘Arable/horticultural’ row or
if improved grassland (grazed) on one side and woodland on the other, record ‘IG’ in ‘Grassland’ row for side a and ‘W’ in ‘Non-agricultural’ row for side b.
- Set-aside - include autumn-sown set-aside covers, including grass, as “Arable/hortic., A” and natural regeneration as “Arable/hortic., S”.
Sections 5 and 7:
- The central 30 m section should be located ‘by eye’ as being approximately in the middle of the hedgerow length.
Section 5:
- Count from one side only (note ‘a’ or ‘b’).
- Identify species where possible, ticking appropriate box or adding to list (and ticking). Any unidentified species should be listed as “UID X, Y, Z” and added into “total species” count.
Section 6:
- Tick one box for each hedge, to indicate which of these ITE hedge types best describes it.
- If using the ‘other’ category, please describe overall composition of hedge by naming the main woody species present and their approx. proportions (This will assist subsequent placing into most appropriate ITE class).
Section 7:
- Only complete for sides of the hedgerow that are immediately adjacent to agricultural land (as classified in Section 4 - i.e. ignore sides adjacent to roads, tracks, woodland, etc).
- If land use on both sides of the hedge is the same or very similar (i.e. same category for Section 4), only record one side.
- Indicate (with a tick) which of the six listed vegetation types are abundant in the hedge-bottom flora along much of the hedge length. Only tick those vegetation types that occur frequently and represent a significant proportion of total cover in the hedge-bottom.
- Bare soil, cleavers and nettles all suggest possible management problems. Please indicate (by rough estimates) the approximate percentages of each within the hedge-bottom, in the assessed 30 m central section of each hedgerow (from mid-line of hedge-bottom to outer edge ... see earlier definition, in instructions for Section 2).
- If category/species not present in 30 m section record as ‘0’; if estimated cover is 0.1-1% record as ‘p’ (present); if cover is 1.1-10% record to nearest 2%; if cover is > 10% records to nearest 5%.
- % cover estimates must be those that apply at the date of assessment i.e. do not attempt to estimate what % cover might be later in the year!
Chris Britt
ADAS
MAFF Drayton
24 January 2000
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