Life On The Hedge

Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s MARTIN VARLEY looks at the rise and demise of Cheshire’s most iconic habitat and explains why hedgerows are so important to farmland wildlife

 

- Martin Varley

FARMLAND accounts for approximately 60% of the UK’s land cover – and that figure is slightly higher in Cheshire. The wet and mild conditions of England’s western counties are particularly suited to grass growing and Cheshire is no exception. It’s one of the reasons why we have so many dairy farms.

In order to make room for the rolling farmland we see today, woodlands were cleared and replaced with open areas. Grass is king in Cheshire, so much so, that we are one of the least wooded areas of the UK – with only 5% tree cover compared to the 13% average. Today, the typical scene of rural Cheshire is one of lush grassland. This is not a natural environment though; far from it. Back in the days when the UK was an ancient wildwood, the species suited to open land would have been scarce and confined to woodland clearings, bogs and marshes.

This is not necessarily a bad thing if you’re one of the many species that are adapted to take advantage of this ‘new’ farmland habitat. In fact there are now more than 100 species in Cheshire that we affectionately refer to as farmland species. But these species are still delicately balanced to suit traditional farming methods with pastures and hay meadows brimming with wildflowers. Intensification of farming has created larger and larger grassland green deserts and nothing can live on grass alone.