Trees on hen ranges are a haven for wildlife

• A valuable woodland edge habitat is created by planting trees on 20% of free range hen range areas. It provides food, shelter and nesting for both common and rare species such as song thrush, tree sparrow and bats, and new habitat for a wide range of moths associated with trees and woodland.
• The planted ranges may help to address current concerns for declining woodland bird species such as willow warbler by providing valuable additional habitat for them.
• The ranges provide additional habitat to support the expansion of local populations of wildlife. They may also provide some resilience to climate change that appears to be augmenting the northward migration of wildlife species, including those closely associated with woodland habitats.
• Range planting should include a variety of trees of predominantly local native species - the diversity will provide resilience against pests and diseases as well as habitat for wildlife.
• Design planting schemes using rows of trees at 4-5m spacings to maximise the potential extent of ‘woodland edge’ habitat.
• Undertake selective thinning where canopy coalescence between planted trees is extensive.
• Complementing tree planting on ranges with additional planting on other areas of the farm can potentially provide other benefits to areas such as water management and carbon sequestration.

Header image shows farmer David Brass and his free range hens in their woodland range. Photo credit: Phil Formby, Woodland Trust Media Library. All Rights Reserved