Apart from their original function as boundaries, hedges also have other kinds of significance: they influence the micro-climate, provide the livestock with protection against sun, rain and wind – in cold winds there can be a temperature difference of up to 5 degrees Celsius behind them – and they inhibit soil erosion with their roots. A strong network of hedges and trees contributes to the conservation of indigenous plant and animal species, and it gives the landscape structure and diversity. Hedges provide habitat, shelter and food, and they are important traffic corridors for animals such as the hare and the fox. Various different fungi and wild herbs find ideal living conditions at the foot of a hedge.
