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Plant diversity in three types of hedgerows adjacent to cropfields

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Abstract

The farming landscape of eastern Canada is dotted with three main types of hedgerows: (1) natural woody, (2) planted woody and (3) herbaceous. The objective of this study was to compare the value of these habitats as a repository of plant biodiversity in agricultural areas of southern Quebec. The overall plant diversity was higher in natural hedgerows and they contained more plant species of conservation values than other hedgerow types. Plant species richness per quadrat was, however, higher in planted woody hedgerows, and together with the species composition, lead to the conclusion that planted hedgerows in their entirety consisted of an ecotone type of vegetation such as is found in field edges which usually support high plant diversity and productivity but where transient plant species predominate. Consequently, this study indicated that natural hedgerows fare better than planted hedgerows in terms of diversity of plants of conservation interest. In spite of that, planted woody hedgerows contained plant (and bird) species of some interest and should be favoured over more desolate herbaceous hedgerows. In areas where hedgerows were removed and are not re-establishing naturally, a mixture of deciduous trees and conifers should be encouraged in further windbreak planting programs so as to conciliate both the conservation and agronomic objectives. Furthermore, management practices should optimise the growth of establishing plants of conservation values.

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Author notes

  1. Line Choinière

    Present address: Protection de l'habitat, Gestion de l'habitat du poisson, Institut Maurice Lamontagne, 850, Route de la Mer, C.P. 1000, Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada, G5H 3Z4

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Wildlife Research Centre, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, 100 Gamelin Blvd, Hull, Québec, Canada, K1A 0H3

    Céline Boutin & Luc Bélanger

  2. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, 1141 Route de l'Église, C.P. 10100, Sainte-Foy, Québec, Canada, G1V 4H5

    Benoît Jobin & Line Choinière

Authors
  1. Céline Boutin
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  2. Benoît Jobin
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  3. Luc Bélanger
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  4. Line Choinière
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Boutin, C., Jobin, B., Bélanger, L. et al. Plant diversity in three types of hedgerows adjacent to cropfields. Biodiversity and Conservation 11, 1–25 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014023326658

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