Farmland Trees and Their Role in Wildlife Welfare

Trees on farmland including hedgerow trees, parkland and agroforestry systems provide essential habitat and welfare resources for numerous species.

Key Facts

England lost 40% of hedgerow trees between 1990 and 2016 through poor management and disease
Veteran trees support over 1,000 species of invertebrate providing food resources for birds and bats
Agroforestry systems with tree rows integrated with crops support significantly higher biodiversity
Trees provide shade reducing heat stress for livestock, improving both wildlife and domestic animal welfare
Planning protection of veteran trees remains inadequate in many national and local planning frameworks

Welfare Considerations

Farmland trees provide welfare benefits to numerous species simultaneously. Veteran trees with cavities provide nest sites for barn owls, stock doves and multiple bat species that would otherwise be homeless. Insect-rich trees support aerial insectivores whose populations have declined with insect abundance. Shade trees prevent heat stress in grazing livestock. The multi-functional welfare value of farmland trees means their loss represents welfare impacts across multiple species simultaneously. Conservation and planting of farmland trees is among the highest-return welfare investments available in agricultural landscapes.

What You Can Do

Support ancient and veteran tree protection in planning policy and tree preservation orders
Encourage farmers to retain and manage hedgerow trees rather than removing them for machinery convenience
Plant native tree species in gardens to provide insect-rich habitat and cavity nesting opportunities
Advocate for agroforestry support in agricultural subsidy schemes to incentivise tree retention on farms