Monks Wood Hedgerow Experiment

The purpose of the Monks Wood Hedgerow Experiment is to study the effects of different management regimes on experimental hedgerows planted in 1961. Hedgerows provide important semi-natural habitat and resources for wildlife in agricultural landscapes. Hedgerow management can substantially alter the condition of hedges and their value as wildlife habitats. For example, farmland birds and mammals rely on berries as a food source over winter, but most hedgerow species only flower and fruit on wood that is at least two years old. The Hedgerow Management Experiment provides scientific evidence on hedgerow management for policy-makers and land managers.
Category
Field research platforms
Capabilities
Experimental hedges were planted in 1961 at Monks Wood on former arable land. The arable land was converted to grassland and subsequently managed by a mixture of hay cutting and topping, plus occasional extensive livestock grazing, with no fertiliser or pesticide inputs. The hedgerows were managed by autumn or winter cutting on a 1 or 2 year cycle to maintain them at a height of 2–3 m. In autumn 2005 three hedgerows were divided into 32 contiguous plots of 15 m length. The following management treatments were allocated to plots at random in factorial combinations: (1) frequency of cutting (annual vs. biennial vs. triennial), and (2) timing of cutting (autumn September vs. winter January/February). In addition, we monitored two unmanaged plots that had not been cut for 15 + years, and were never cut during the current experiment. Each treatment combination of cutting frequency and timing was replicated either eight (for annually cut plots) or four times (for biennial and triennially cut plots).
Lifecycle
The Monks Wood Hedgerow Experiment commenced in the 1960s and has developed since then (see 'capabilities' column). NERC ownership of the site by NERC, with a long-term lease to UKCEH, means the study has no fixed end date.
Uniqueness
The Monks Wood Hedgerow experiment is globally unique.
Partners
UKCEH's partners for the Hedgerow study are Defra and Natural England.
Access
The Monks Wood Hedgerow Experiment may be available for use by other research organisations, usually in collaboration with UKCEH: initial enquiries via Richard Pywell, UKCEH Wallingford. Users can access the data via the UKCEH Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC).
Location
The Hedgerow study site is located at Monks Wood National Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire, eastern England (52.4026°N, −0.2357°W).
Funding sources
The Hedgerow Experiment is primarily funded by Defra and Natural England.
Users
Users of the Hedgerow Experiment include: UKCEH researchers and PhD students; other UK and international researchers; Defra policy.
Scale
Area, city, farm, habitat
Last updated
27 March 2023 13:05
Contact
Jo Staley UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Privacy notice Terms of use Contact Accessibility