On many farms, stone and wooden field borders define field sizes. These are commonly perceived as land lost to production and refuges for pests and disease, causing such fences and hedges to be removed to create larger fields for increased productivity; this process has eliminated trees and shrubs that provide habitat along these fencerows. This research explores the alignment of agricultural productivity and wildlife conservation, proposing that species such as feral apples may serve as direct economic resources for producers and act to protect such remaining fences and hedges. This study focused on farms in the Dummer Moraine, which have small fields, adventive hedges on rock piles and rail fences. Using field size analysis, apple frequencies and apple jelly tasting, the research demonstrates that feral apples could provide economic incentive for keeping these hedges intact, offering a practical mechanism for their conservation, benefiting both biodiversity and farm productivity.
KEYWORDS: biodiversity conservation, farm gate sales, fencerows, feral apples, hedges, linear forests
Author Keywords: biodiversity conservation, farm gate sales, fencerows, feral apples, hedges, linear forests