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.
Publiée le 21 juillet 2025