Complete with information on buying and selling woods, useful contact addresses and a glossary of terms, Caring for Small Woods will prove the indispensable handbook.

Hedges and field margins are important wildlife habitats and deliver a range of ecosystem services, and their value is increasingly recognised by ecologists. This book reviews and assesses the current state of research on hedgerows and associated field margins. With the intensification of agriculture in the second half of the last century, field sizes were increased by amalgamation and the rooting out of hedges, synthetic pesticide and inorganic fertiliser use increased, and traditional methods of hedge management were largely abandoned. The book is split into two main sections. The first deals with definitions, current and historic management, the impact of pesticides, the decline in hedge stock and condition, and new approaches to hedge evaluation using remote sensing techniques. The second section explores the pollination and biological pest control benefits provided by hedges and field margins and examines the ecology of some of the major groups that are found in hedgerows and field margins: butterflies and moths, carabid beetles, mammals, and birds. A case study on birds and invertebrates from a research farm managed as a commercial enterprise, but which attempts to farm with wildlife in mind, brings these themes together. A final chapter introduces the neglected area of hedges in the urban environment. The book will be of great interest to advanced students, researchers and professionals in ecology, agriculture, wildlife conservation, natural history, landscape, environmental and land management.

In recent years there has been a much greater appreciation of the enormous contribution that hedges make to the countryside. Today, their beauty, their ability to provide wind protection and contain livestock, their environmental importance and their significance as a wildlife habitat, are all widely recognized. Not surprisingly, this transformation in the way we view hedges has, in turn, produced a welcome revival in the ancient craft of hedgelaying. Whether you own hedges, are thinking of growing them, or just have an interest in hedgerows, this fascinating, well-illustrated book will be of value to you. Hedges and Hedgelaying - A Guide to Planting, Management and Conservation contains of wealth of practical information and covers: the selection of hedgerow shrubs and trees and the associated significance of soil types and topography; the planting of hedges and the necessary preparation work; the use of trees in the hedgerow and the value of field margins; weed, pest and disease control, and hedge cutting, maintenance and protection; the craft of hedgelaying and the tools and processes involved. Well illustrated with nearly 200 drawings and photographs, this is an indispensable guide for all those interested in managing and preserving our hedgerows for future generations.

This is the first book to cover all aspects of Lagomorph biology. Lagomorphs are a mammalian order which includes rabbits, hares and pikas. They are distributed throughout the world and are of both scientific and public interest as they are classified between endangered and pest species. In addition, some have a high economic value as important game species. In the last few decades, a huge amount of information has been made available to the scientific community that has resulted in remarkable advances on all aspects of Lagomorph biology.

Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2014 While few detailed surveys of fauna or flora exist in England from the period before the nineteenth century, it is possible to combine the evidence of historical sources (ranging from game books, diaries, churchwardens' accounts and even folk songs) and our wider knowledge of past land use and landscape, with contemporary analyses made by modern natural scientists, in order to model the situation at various times and places in the more remote past. This timely volume encompasses both rural and urban environments from 1650 to the mid-twentieth century, drawing on a wide variety of social, historical and ecological sources. It examines the impact of social and economic organisation on the English landscape, biodiversity, the agricultural revolution, landed estates, the coming of large-scale industry and the growth of towns and suburbs. It also develops an original perspective on the complexity and ambiguity of man/animal relationships in this post-medieval period.