Increasing botanical diversity and reducing weed abundance in degraded hedge-bases

Abstract

An arable field hedgerow with a basal-flora harbouring pernicious weeds, notably Galium aparine and Anisantha sterilis, was selected for study. Our objectives were to develop practical methods to restore the hedge-base vegetation to a diverse perennial flora and reduce weed abundance. The management regimes imposed on the hedge-base included cutting, herbicide applications, sowing a native perennial seed-mix and excluding fertiliser. Results showed that sowing created the most botanically diverse plots, effectively reduced annual weeds and beneficially altered species composition, compared with unsown plots. Selective herbicide applications or excluding-fertiliser also increased plant diversity. Herbicide treatments suppressed weeds initially but A. sterilis re-infested plots the following year, whereas spring-cutting each year gave continued suppression.