[Ecological benefits of the hedgerows: A review]

The hedgerows, also called vegetative barriers, are defined as strips of grass, trees or shrubs or combinations of herbaceous and woody plants established along the contour lines of slopes, the edge of fields, streams, ditches or other water bodies, which can play outstanding roles in soil structure improvement, such as soil texture, porosity, bulk density, and some other physical properties. Its mechanical resistance can delay and intercept runoff effectively, facilitate rainwater infiltration, and reduce the denudation power of runoff on surface land. Moreover, the hedgerows can change sloping topography through constant sediment accumulation at the upper sides of the strips. The international and domestic researches across different ecological zones and geographical regions were summarized and analyzed in this paper. On the basis of such analysis, the hedgerows were confirmed to play a positive role in soil physical and chemical properties, rainfall infiltration, erosion processes, vegetation restoration, biodiversity conservation, landscape optimization and other important ecosystem services. Meanwhile, two problems in the current research of hedgerows were put forward: the planting pattern and structure of hedgerows, species selection, and management practices should be systematized for application, while the mechanisms of hedgerows on vegetation restoration and ecological succession should be further explored in scientific research.