The Woody Species of Hedges with Special Reference to Age in Church Broughton Parish, Derbyshire

Abstract

SUMMARY (1) A survey of the hedges in one parish in the English Midlands, to examine the relationship between age and number of woody species in 30-yd (27-4-m) samples, is described. Hedges were aged using maps dating back to 1630 A.D. (2) All hedges in the area were basically single-species Crataegus monogyna hedges. They were divisible, on the basis of probable origin and management, into three types, called 'garden', brookside' and 'field hedges'. (3) The woody species in the 'field hedges' could be divided into three groups, based on their ecology, life-form and economic use, called 'commoner shrubs', 'timber trees' and 'rarer shrubs and small trees'. (4) Hedges next to roads had more woody species than those between fields; subsoil was related to number of species, but recent management was not. (5) The number of woody species increased by approximately one a century. This agreed with previous work, but was against a higher 'base number' of 1-87 species. Previous work is discussed, and it is pointed out that less of the variation in number of species is due to age than has been implied. (6) A cessation in increase in number of woody species with age is reported for the first timne. (7) It is concluded that the number of woody species in hedges is of less value in dating than has been assumed, and should only be used for dating groups of hedges when a local relationship has been established empirically between age and number of species.