A farm-scale evaluation of the influence of hedgerow cutting frequency on hawthorn ( Crataegus monogyna) berry yields

Abstract

Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna is the dominant hedgerow species in the UK and has the potential to produce an abundance of berries (haws). These berries provide an important food resource for many animals through the winter. Experimental studies have shown a strong influence of hedgerow management on berry production and this study examines whether that influence extends to farm-scale hedgerow management. Hawthorn berries were harvested from hedgerows that had been subject to three different cutting frequencies at each of three farmland sites in the UK. Analysis showed that the yield of berries per unit area of hedgerow was significantly different between treatments in all cases; with the yield from uncut hedges exceeding annually cut hedges by a factor of 50.