Hedges for invertebrates and plants: how current and historic hedgerow management alters their structural condition and value as a semi-natural habitat

Hedgerows are a key semi-natural habitat in intensively farmed landscapes, and their roles in providing food and nesting resources, shelter, corridors and habitat niches for wildlife are closely linked to their management. Here, we review recent research into cutting and rejuvenation hedgerow management practices and summarise how these affect plant and invertebrate taxa, including those that are priorities for conservation and functionally important as providers of ecosystem services. Studies demonstrating the role of hedgerows in connecting semi-natural habitats and the way in which this can be shaped by management are also reviewed. The role and efficacy of conservation policy in improving the value of hedgerows for wildlife, through agri-environment schemes, is examined in the context of the evidence reviewed for the benefits of different types of hedgerow management.