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Guilty or scapegoat? Land consolidation and the hedgerow decline
[Coupable ou bouc émissaire ? Le remembrement et le déclin des haies]

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  • Valentin Cocco

    (CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR PSAE - Paris-Saclay Applied Economics - AgroParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Raja Chakir

    (UMR PSAE - Paris-Saclay Applied Economics - AgroParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Lauriane Mouysset

    (CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Land consolidation is a standard policy tool to reduce land fragmentation through the spatial redistribution of property rights; however, the risk of adverse effects on the landscape raises concerns about its environmental sustainability. This study investigates the landscape impacts of consolidation on the hedgerow network of Lower Normandy, France. Implementing a staggered difference-in-differences strategy on a longitudinal survey (1972-2010), we show that consolidation led to a significant reduction in hedgerow density of -14.3m/ha (standard error: 2.33), accounting for 13.7% of the overall decline observed in consolidated areas. Our results also suggest a diminishing impact over time of consolidation and time since consolidation, an increasing impact with higher initial hedgerow density, no spillover effect, and a negative impact on network connectivity. Our findings confirm that land consolidation has significantly contributed to the decline of hedgerows, but they challenge prevailing beliefs about its share of responsibility among other factors of landscape changes.

Suggested Citation

  • Valentin Cocco & Raja Chakir & Lauriane Mouysset, 2025. "Guilty or scapegoat? Land consolidation and the hedgerow decline [Coupable ou bouc émissaire ? Le remembrement et le déclin des haies]," Post-Print hal-04658788, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04658788
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2025.103196
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04658788v1
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