Are field boundary hedgerows the earliest example of a nature-based solution?

• Published in: Environmental science & policy Vol. 120; pp. 73 - 80
• Main Author: Collier, Marcus J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2021
• Subjects: Co-benefits; decision making; ecosystem services; environmental science; Field boundaries; green infrastructure; Hedgerow; issues and policy; landscapes; Nature-based solutions; Co-benefits; Field boundaries; Hedgerow; Nature-based solutions
• ISSN: 1462-9011; 1873-6416
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.02.008

[Display omitted] •Mainstreaming nature-based solutions is hampered by low evidence on their efficacy, longevity, scalability, and co-benefits.•As the first nature-based solutions, hedgerows offer perspective for communities of interest, influence and practice.•Analysis of historical nature-based solutions shows that co-benefits arise with longevity, makeup, structure, and utility.•The mainstreaming of nature-based solutions is hampered by a lack of evidence on their efficacy, efficiency, longevity and co-benefits. The arrival of the phrase nature-based solutions into the lexicon of academics, planners, managers and policy makers in recent years has sparked a heated debate as to the effectiveness of using nature as a viable solution for mitigating the impacts of anthropogenic environmental change. One of the difficulties of evaluating the potential efficacy and impact of nature-based solutions is that it is believed that there is little evidence by way of a precedent or long-term successful examples. Much literature exists on the subject of designing with nature to provide multi-functional green infrastructure, connectivity in the landscape, and ecosystem service provision. Indeed, in the opinion of many, the nature-based solution approach appears to synergise research into green infrastructure, ecological connectivity and ecosystem service provision for building climate-related resilience. However, when a nature-based solution has been specifically selected over, say, an engineered solution the literature is rather less clear. So, decision-makers may find it necessary to rely on less reliable sources of impact evidence. This paper argues that field boundary hedgerows may be considered to be exemplars of a nature-based solution, one that was planned, designed, perfected and mainstreamed at a landscape scale, that was specifically selected over a non-nature-based solution, and one that is still in providing solutions and co-benefits today. Therefore, hedgerows may provide some perspective into the potential or emergent co-benefits that the current nature-based solution approach seeks to provide.