Mixed Scrub

Mixed scrub is a habitat of dense or scattered shrubs, typically 1–5 metres tall, composed of a range of native woody species. It often develops as a transitional stage between grassland and woodland, or where land is left unmanaged. Scrub can form mosaics with grassland, woodland edges, or hedgerows, creating valuable structural diversity.

Mixed scrub appears across a wide variety of landscapes, including:

• Grassland margins and pasture edges

• Woodland rides and glades

• Hedgerow expansions and field corners

• Brownfield sites and abandoned land

• Road verges, railway embankments, and quarries

Inputs

• Allow natural regeneration by excluding or reducing grazing and mowing to permit shrub seedlings to establish

• Directly plant or seed a range of native shrubs to speed up development

• Use thorny species such as hawthorn and blackthorn as “nurse shrubs” to provide protection for later colonisers

• Avoid herbicide or fertiliser applications, which suppress shrub establishment and understorey diversity

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Management

• Plan for a varied age structure by planting in patches of different sizes and densities

• Retain open ground and grassy patches within new scrub to prevent uniform thickets

• In drier regions, favour drought-tolerant species such as gorse or more resilient provenances of hawthorn

• Where appropriate, coppice or cut back sections to create structural variety and prevent monocultures

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Landscape

• Target planting on field corners, slopes, or margins where scrub links other semi-natural habitats

• Position new scrub adjacent to existing hedgerows, woodland, or grassland to create habitat networks

• Use scrub as a buffer strip along watercourses or between farmland and semi-natural habitats

• Plan scrub mosaics that combine dense thickets, scattered bushes, and edges to maximise biodiversity

Inputs

• Supplement single-species thickets with additional native shrubs to broaden diversity

• Allow natural regeneration to add structural complexity without heavy intervention

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Management

• Maintain a varied age structure by rotational cutting or coppicing patches

• Retain thorn thickets, bramble, and rose patches, which are valuable for invertebrates and nesting birds

• Prevent total succession to closed-canopy woodland if mixed scrub is the intended long-term habitat

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Landscape

• Link scrub patches with hedgerows and woodland edges to strengthen ecological networks

• Retain gradual transitions from scrub into grassland or woodland, avoiding hard edges

• Incorporate open rides or glades for light-demanding plants and invertebrates

Good condition scrub shows:

• A diverse mix of native shrub species, including both thorn and non-thorn types

• Structural variety, with dense thickets, scattered bushes, and open areas

• Evidence of natural regeneration and a healthy understorey

• Functional connections with adjacent habitats

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• Distinctiveness: Medium

• Condition Potential: High, if structural diversity and species richness are maintained

• Habitat Connectivity: Provides strong links across fragmented landscapes

• Climate Services: Contributes to carbon storage, soil stability, and shelter for livestock

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🌿 Shrubs

• Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

• Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)

• Dog-rose (Rosa canina)

• Bramble (Rubus fruticosus)

• Hazel (Corylus avellana)

• Elder (Sambucus nigra)

• Gorse (Ulex europaeus) on dry sites

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🐦 Birds

• Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)

• Common whitethroat (Curruca communis)

• Linnet (Linaria cannabina)

• Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)

• Dunnock (Prunella modularis)

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🐇Mammals

• European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)

• Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) [regionally restricted]

• Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) [bat species using scrub edges]

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🐝Invertebrates

• Brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae)

• Numerous pollinators including bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and hoverflies (Syrphidae)

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