Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs Participative Approaches to Hedgerow Conservation Thesis How to cite: Oreszczyn, Susan (1999). Participative Approaches to Hedgerow Conservation. PhD thesis The Open University. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 1999 The Author Version: Version of Record Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21954/ou.ro.000075c6 Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk Participative Approaches to Hedgerow Conservation Susan Oreszczyn BSc (Hons) Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The Systems Discipline, Faculty of Technology The Open University, United Kingdom. 28th September 1999 ABSTRACT This thesis demonstrates how systems ideas and grounded theory have been applied to provide a broader approach to researching hedgerows in England, drawing on the idea that holistic thinking brings together different people’s relationships with hedgerows and with each other concerning hedgerows. The cultural dimensions of hedgerows and their implications for future hedged landscapes were investigated through the collection and exploration of different groups perspectives - public, farmers and experts - in England and Canada, using a diversity of primary and secondary data sources. English hedgerows were important to all groups. Everyone liked hedged landscapes for aesthetic, visual and wildlife reasons. They were important for the way they break up the landscape; provide signs of the changing seasons; their sense of mystery and intimacy; their connections with the past and childhood memories. They are also seen as part of England’s history and national identity. Such cultural identity was absent in the Canadian data. However, some groups also held a rational or objective view which was dominant over this subjective or emotional view and which affects where they draw the boundaries to their systems of interest. Farmers were most concerned with their farms (and the hedgerows they owned) as a business, while experts dealt mainly with the ecological aspects of hedgerows. There was found to be little awareness of others groups views with different groups seeing the same action in very different ways. Even where there was contact between farmers and experts, there could be a lack of trust. Finally, it is noted that policy and practice towards hedgerows have ignored many of these relationships and that the approach used here offers opportunities to examine the different systems of interest. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my sincere thanks to the many people I know who have supported me through this research. In particular, I should like to thank all those farmers, public and experts who kindly gave up their time to talk with me; my fellow students for their entertaining discussions, encouragement and therapy sessions, and Tadj and Anna for putting up with me. A special thank you to my supervisor Dr. Andy Lane for always having an open door and to Jeanette Evans for looking after Anna. I should also like to thank the ESRC for their financial support and the Open University Technology Faculty for funding the Canadian study. Cartoon drawings by Joe Short. In memory of Alison Downer 10 May 1967 – 22 July 1992. CONTENTS Chapter 1 1.1 Acknowledging different Perspectives ------------------------------------------1 1.2 This Thesis as a Personal View---------------------------------------------------2 1.3 The Context For This Research---------------------------------------------------3 1.4 The Origins of this Research: Why Hedgerows?-----------------------------5 1.5 Doing this Research----------------------------------------------------------------- 6 1.5.1 A systems approach-----------------------------------------------------6 1.5.2 Grounded theory--------------------------------------------------------- 7 1.6 Reporting on this research: The structure of the thesis-------------------- 8 Chapter 2 2.1. What is a Hedgerow?-------------------------------------------------------------10 2.2. Our Hedgerow History------------------------------------------------------------14 2.2.1 Early hedgerows---------------------------------------------------------14 2.3 Hedgerows Today-------------------------------------------------------------------18 Chapter 3 3.1 Integrating the cultural and scientific aspects of landscape--------------20 3.1.1 Neglecting the cultural: Researching hedgerows---------------20 3.1.2: The separation of the cultural and the scientific within landscape studies--------------------------------------------------------------21 3.1.3 Landscape ecology: Integrating the culture and the science?--- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------22 3.1.4 Systems and landscape ecology------------------------------------24 3.2 Taking a Soft Systems Approach-----------------------------------------------25 3.2.1 Beyond positivist approaches to research------------------------25 3.2.2.1 Alternative approaches to researching--------------------------26 3.2.3 From ‘hard’ to ‘soft’ systems thinking------------------------------27 3.2.4 Systems thinking and landscape research------------------------31 3.2.5 Participatory approaches to researching the environment: Systems thinking in action.---------------------------------------------------32 3.3 Conclusions---------------------------------------------------------------------------35 Chapter 4 4.1 Forming The Research Strategy------------------------------------------------37 4.1.1 Researching human relationships with landscape--------------38 4.1.2 Taking a qualitative approach----------------------------------------40 4.1.3 Grounded theory--------------------------------------------------------43 4.1.4 Validity issues------------------------------------------------------------47 4.1.5 The benefits and difficulties of using grounded theory--------50 4.1.6 Uses of grounded theory----------------------------------------------52 4.2 Conducting this Research---------------------------------------------------------52 4.2.1 Identifying who has a stake in hedgerows------------------------52 4.2.2 Collecting data for this research-------------------------------------61 4.3 Analysing the Data------------------------------------------------------------------72 4.3.1 Computer aided qualitative analysis--------------------------------72 4.3.2 Analysis within this research using QSR NUD*IST-------------75 4.4 Reflections on Chapter 4----------------------------------------------------------77 Chapter 5 5.1 The Publics’ Relationship with Hedgerows------------------------------------80 5.1.2 The wider perspective: A questionnaire survey------------------80 5.1.3 An in-depth perspective-----------------------------------------------85 5.2 The Public’s Relationships with Others---------------------------------------103 5.2.1 Hedgerows as theirs--------------------------------------------------103 5.2.2 Hedgerows as needing protection---------------------------------103 5.2.3 Hedgerows as managed features of the countryside--------105 5.2.4 Understanding----------------------------------------------------------107 5.3 Where The Public Place The Boundary To Their System of Interest------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------108 Chapter 6 6.1 A Wider Perspective--------------------------------------------------------------112 6.1.1 Farmers’ Relationships with hedgerows-------------------------112 6.1.2 Farmers as wildlife conservationists------------------------------114 6.1.3 Farmers’ Relationships with others-------------------------------117 6.2 An In-Depth Perspective---------------------------------------------------------119 6.2.1 Farmers’ relationships with hedgerows in their landscape context---------------------------------------------------------------------------120 6.2.2 Farmers relationships with hedgerows in their farm context----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------128 6.2.3 Farmers’ relationships with others---------------------------------138 6.3 Where The Farmers Place The Boundary To Their System of Interest---- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------149 Chapter 7 7.1 A Wider Perspective--------------------------------------------------------------152 7.1.1. Hedgerow plants------------------------------------------------------152 7.1.2 Hedgerows as wildlife habitats-------------------------------------153 7.1.3 Hedgerows as connecting, linear landscape habitats--------155 7.1.4 Hedgerows as functional--------------------------------------------156 7.1.5 Hedgerows as managed for wildlife conservation-------------156 7.1.6 Hedgerows as Ideal---------------------------------------------------159 7.1.7 Hedgerows as threatened habitats: protection of the special---- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------160 7.1.8 Hedgerows as visually important----------------------------------164 7.1.9 Hedgerows as part of the English landscape-------------------165 7.2 An In-Depth Perspective---------------------------------------------------------166 7.2.1 Hedgerows as features of the English landscape-------------166 7.2.2