Sequestering soil carbon by planting hedgerows

Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds

Hedgerows, a common feature of farmed landscapes around the world, provide a number of ecosystem services, including the sequestration and storage of atmospheric carbon in both their own vegetation and the soil. However, since the 1960s, there has been a general decline in hedgerow length and condition in most regions of the world, with negative effects on biodiversity and soils. Recently, hedgerow planting and management have been encouraged through public agri-environment schemes and private sector initiatives for nature protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation.