Orchards were once widespread in the UK but are now disappearing. It is estimated that there has been a 63% reduction in the area of England given over to orchards since the 1950s.
However, they are an important part of the landscape – not just for food, but for supporting plants and animals.
A study carried out by Natural England in 2004 found that orchards contain a mosaic of habitats and are hotspots for biodiversity. In 2012, it published a further study focusing on six orchards in Herefordshire which also identified their importance as wildlife havens.
Read the results of the 2004 study
Read the Herefordshire orchards study
If you want to study biodiversity in orchards, OPAL East of England and the Field Studies Council have developed two guides to get you started, looking at the lichens and mosses that grow on fruit trees.
Lichens and mosses play a number of important roles in ecosystems and studying them can teach us about how our environment is changing.
Download the guide to lichens in orchards in the east of England
Download the guide to mosses in orchards in the east of England