This document sets out Natural England’s view on favourable conservation status for hedgerows in England.
Favourable conservation status is the minimum threshold at which we can be confident that the habitat, and its associated species, are thriving in England and are expected to continue to thrive sustainably in the future.
This definition has been produced following the Natural England approach to defining favourable conservation status described in the guidance document Defining Favourable Conservation Status in England.
Section 1 of this document describes the habitat covered by this definition and its ecosystem context.
Section 2 specifies the units used to describe the three favourable conservation status parameters. These are:
• Natural range and distribution (where the habitat occurs).
• Extent (how much habitat there is).
• The structure and function attributes (habitat quality).
Section 3 outlines the evidence considered when developing the definition. This definition is based on the best available evidence on the ecology of hedgerows. The evidence covers the current situation, historical changes and possible future changes.
Section 4 sets out the conclusions on the favourable values, which is the value for each of the three parameters when the habitat has achieved favourable conservation status.
This document does not include any action planning, or describe actions, to achieve or maintain favourable conservation status. These will be presented separately, for example within strategy documents.