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Writer's picturePádraig McEvoy

Hedgerows life support

Updated: May 12

Proposal to Kildare County Council meeting, Monday 26 June 2023 [link]



Councillor Pádraig McEvoy


Motion


That the council summarises the updated survey of hedgerows and makes a submission to the public consultation [link] on Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations towards policy coherence for hedgerow conservation in zoned lands and transitional areas under development pressure, and in particular, to address hedgerow removal prior to planning applications.


Agenda Report


The Kildare Hedgerow Survey 2022 was funded by the Heritage Council and will be made available on the Council website shortly.


The Kildare Hedgerow Survey was carried out during the months of July and August 2022 on hedges previously surveyed in 2006. The aims and intent were to assess these hedges over a decade on to review the state of hedgerows in the county. The methodology used during surveying has been set out by Foulkes et al. (2012) in the Hedgerow Appraisal Survey (HAS) methodology. The objective of the methodology is to record the extent (i.e. quantitative survey), and floristic composition, context, physical structure, condition, and management of hedgerows (i.e. qualitative survey) in any given locality, County or region of Ireland using a semi-random sample selection.


The total length of hedgerows recorded in the 2022 survey within the 18 1km grid squares sampled was approximately 114.3km. In 2006 the same area contained 121.2km of hedgerow. This indicates that 6.9km of hedgerow has been removed over a 16-year period. This represents an annual removal rate 0.5% of Kildare’s hedgerows per year since 2006. Much higher than an EPA estimate of between 0.16% and 0.3%.


Agriculture was responsible for over 41% of hedgerow removal since 2006. Conifer afforestation was also responsible for 41% of hedgerow removal/loss. Road and residential development were the next leading contributors to hedgerow removal at 11%.


18.6% of hedges were classified as species-rich for woody shrubs in 2022. The average number of shrub species per 30m strip was 2.96 (2.45 for native species only). This is below that of 2006, when an average of 3.62 species were recorded in sampled hedges. 12.4% of hedges contained only 1 species, this is an increase from 2006 when only 6% of hedges had only one woody shrub species. These results point to less diverse hedges overall. Hedges with less than 4 species were more common in 2022 when compared with 2006.


26% of the hedges where trees were recorded had just one tree species in 2022, in comparison to where 31% had only one tree species. Hedges in 2022 were more likely to have three or more tree species in the canopy than in 2006. Pointing to an overall, but slight, increase in tree species diversity. This will be significant in Kildare’s hedgerows as Ash trees occurred in half of the hedgerows surveyed. The prevalence of Ash Dieback diseases is therefore likely to have a proportionally larger impact on Kildare’s hedgerows given the high percentage of Ash trees they contain.


In terms of species diversity in hedgerows, nutrient-loving, fast-growing species like Nettle (77%) and Cleaver (62%) often dominated hedge ground flora, to the detriment of other species. Common hedgerow species such as Foxglove (1%), Woundwort (7%) and Speedwell (11%) were only present in low numbers. The average number of target herbs per 30m strip was 1.4. For comparison, the average number of target herbs in Monaghan hedges (found in the HAS carried out last year) was 2.42 species.


The most common land use type adjacent to the Kildare hedges surveyed was improved grassland, with a 6% increase since 2006. An increase in arable land was also noted (+7%). Semi-natural grasslands were only noted in 7% of the fields next to hedges in 2022, a reduction of 8%. 19.2% of hedgerows did not link to other semi-natural habitats. These results would indicate that the fragmentation of hedgerow networks in County Kildare is an issue that needs to be considered in any biodiversity strategy for the county.


Complete hedges were much more common in 2006 and made up 41% of the sampled hedges. Only 11% of hedges were noted as complete in 2022. Hedges were also more likely to have >50% gaps with a 10% increase since 2006. The majority (72%) of sampled hedges showed some degree of translucence (openness) in the lowest 1m of growth. 23% were classed as being open/ translucent, up 15% from 2006.


11% of hedges were recorded as remnant hedges, which is defined as the remains of what used to be a hedge having no consistent profile. This is an increase of 6% since 2006. A remnant hedge is generally indicated by a (broken) line of mature or senescent plants in tree, rather than shrub form. Almost invariably, it has a high percentage of gaps, although it may have bits of shrubby growth (including Brambles) along its length. Once the remains of a hedge covers <25% of the boundary, it is no longer classified as a remnant hedge and instead is classified as relict. 12% of hedges were classified as relict, double that of 2006.


Approximately 37.9% of hedges in the baseline survey can be classed as highly significant or Heritage Hedgerows in 1 category. 26.1% of hedges scored as highly significant due to their historical context. While 4.3% were found to be significant due to their species diversity. Only 1.2% of hedges scored highly significant based on structure, construction and associated features. Another 8.1% of hedges were significant hedges based on their habitat connectivity value or landscape significance.


88.2% of hedges fell into the category of unfavourable based on criteria which assessed structure, continuity and several other unfavourable indicators. Meaning only 13% of hedges were found to be in favourable condition.

62% of hedges with tillage as the adjacent land use were classified as nutrient-rich and 52% of hedges with agricultural grassland as their adjacent habitat were nutrient-rich. The second most common reason was the percentage of gaps. Around 17% of hedges scored unfavourably due to the fact that >10% of woody growth volume comprised unfavourable species e.g., Sycamore, Beech and Snowberry.


The Heritage Unit will make a submission to the public consultation on Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture).


Issued by: Mr A Dunney, Director of Service, Planning, Enterprise, Economic Development and Emergency Services


Debate


Cllr P. McEvoy


A hedgerow is a row of shrubs or small trees that form land boundaries.

Historically, farmers planted hedgerows to contain livestock and define townlands, fields, and property lines since early Christian and medieval times. The familiar modern hedged landscape in Ireland dates from the 1700s, with further enclosures as a result of the ‘Agricultural Revolution’ and the Enclosures Acts of the 1800s.


According to the Kildare Hedgerow Survey 2006, 45 shrub and tree species, including 20 native species, are found in Kildare hedgerows and support over 100 species of wild flora. Common shrubs include hawthorn and blackthorn, as their prickly branches deter livestock from leaving the field, and their berries provide food for wildlife.


The age of an undisturbed hedgerow can be interpreted by counting the variety of constituent species. Planting was often along banks of ground raised by clearing drainage ditches, and the Pale Ditch survives from the 1400s between Clane and Kilcock as a historic waypoint on our national pathway to democracy.


11% of Ireland is woodland, but 2% is native woodland, of which only tiny fragments are original ancient forests. This leaves hedgerows as a critical habitat for various insects, birds, and mammals. They also supply essential services to agricultural activities by providing habitats for pollinators and predators of pest species. In recent years practices have evolved to trimming hedgerows on alternative sides over a multi-year cycle to minimise damage, weakness and disease – with many aware of ash dieback.


As climate change becomes an existential challenge for air, soil and water quality, and food production, mature hedgerows play an increasingly important role in preventing soil erosion and helping to sequester carbon. Replacement hedgerow planting will have minimal benefits for years to come.


Recently, at the invitation of the IFA, many councillors, some TDs and council officials visited the Byrne family farm in Clondown, Monasterevin; Mr Stephen Byrne, supported by Teagasc, explained some of the approaches to farming with nature to minimise the impacts and restore natural ecosystem services. Concerning this motion, Mr Byrne indicated the importance of his ambition to increase hedgerow planting and his aspirations for the farming sector to up-scale their positive environmental achievements.


The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will review the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations around the need to screen and assess proposals for removing hedgerows and other “land improvement” works.


The Heritage Council and Kildare County Council completed surveys of hedgerows in Kildare in 2006 and 2022. The sample methodology aims to proportionally represent the quality and quantity of hedgerows in County Kildare. Given the summary results, it is submitted that both surveys be supplied to the Department to represent the outcome of implementing current regulations.


From a planning perspective, rural farmland overlays onto zoned and transitional lands subject to future zoning. The review of regulations should be scoped with granularity to acknowledge pressure may well be resulting in removing hedgerows and vegetation before submitting planning applications under the guise of land improvement/ agricultural use.


Media headlines report scientists’ warnings that human-caused global warming will surpass an average of 1.5° Celsius by 2037 – not 2050. In addition to the Chief Executive’s submission, I call on Kildare County Council to petition the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to consider the need for policy coherence for conserving hedgerows with climate action and the regulations for planning and development.



Of the 379 EIA Screening Applications nationally for hedge removal and land improvements between 2017 and 2023, 320 were approved. Proposals were for the removal of 112 kilometres of hedgerows within 2,067 hectares of land. Of these, only 2 applications were reported for County Kildare. The report on the motion today indicates that 9.6 km of hedgerows were removed over a 16-year period.


In the council’s submission, would it be possible to identify what resources are allocated to promoting and assessing applications for removals?


Meeting Minutes


20/0623 [link]


"Members made the following points:


They supported the motion. They highlighted where hedges were removed as part of development. They called for guidelines. Hedgerow week took place in May. Training on managing hedgerows should be provided."


Information


  • National Biodiversity Data Centre - All Island Pollinator Plan - "Let’s celebrate our native hedgerows!" [link]


  • Carbon Sequestration by Hedgerows in the Irish Landscape [Link]


  • County Laois Hedgerow Survey 2005 [Link]


  • County Kildare Hedgerow Survey Report 2022 [Link]


  • County Kildare Hedgerow Survey Report 2006 [Link]


  • County Mayo Hedgerow Survey Report, 2007 [Link]


  • West Kerry/ An Daingean Peninsula Pilot Hedgerow Survey [Link]


  • North Kerry Hedgerow Survey Report 2009 [Link]


  • Hedgerow Survey of County Donegal 2009 [Link]


  • County Monaghan Hedgerow Survey Report 2010 [Link]


  • Monaghan Hedgerow Appraisal Survey, 2021 [Link]


  • Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council Hedgerow Review And Evaluation 2021 [Link]


  • Hedgerow Appraisal System [Link]


  • 3,000 kilometres cut in three years: Ireland's hedgerow heritage at risk [Link]


  • Teagasc: The state of Ireland’s hedgerows [Link]


  • Farmer's Journal: "Most hedgerows sequestering no carbon – Teagasc" [link]

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