Hedgerows are often described as the arteries of the countryside. But in the Fens, the real arteries are the ditches. These drainage channels form a vast network of critical infrastructure, moving water across thousands of kilometres of farmland, yet they also have the potential to play a major role in restoring biodiversity across the landscape.
Working with the Centre for Landscape Regeneration and the Conservation Evidence team at the University of Cambridge, Fenland SOIL helped review the global scientific evidence on ditch management. The team assessed 48 conservation actions across 97 scientific studies worldwide (70% within the UK and Europe) to identify which approaches genuinely improve biodiversity. The aim is to help bridge the gap between scientific research and practical land management.
So, what works?
✔ Buffer strips along ditch banks
✔ Reduced frequency of mowing and cutting
✔ Later mowing windows (July–September)
✔ Lower fertiliser and pesticide use near ditch edges
✔ Less intensive ditch cleaning methods, such as ditch scoops or mowing baskets
✔ Cutting vegetation on only one side of the ditch per year, creating a permanent wildlife corridor
✔ Blocking or damming ditches to support wetter habitats
But there are challenges. Many of the most effective interventions, such as ditch reprofiling, pool creation and raising water levels, are not widely supported within current agri-environment schemes. And because the Fenland ditch system is highly interconnected, improving biodiversity in a single ditch is unlikely to deliver meaningful change. A coordinated, landscape-scale approach will be essential to unlock the full ecological potential of these ‘blue green corridors’.
This research was undertaken as part of the Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot, funded by DEFRA and the Environment Agency.
