Monaghan's Heritage Office Shirley Clerkin has told an Oireachtas Joint Committee Meeting on Agriculture that hedgerows in the county have deteriorated by as much as 88%.
Ms Clerkin said the discovery was made after a survey was carried out last year and the results compared with a similar assessment that was carried out in 2010.
"The figures weren't good in 2010 - it showed that about 73% of the hedgerows were in 'unfavourable condition' but that had jumped to 88% in 2021," Ms Clerkin continued.
"The main reason for that change was nutrient enrichment and that changes the species diversity of the hedges.
"That left us with more nettles and less wildflowers."
She said the survey allowed the team in Monaghan to track developments in the environment over a 10-year period.
She also highlighted how concerns had been raised by members of the public with regard to the quality and quantity of hedgerows in the county.
The results from the survey have indicated that nutrient enrichment has caused the deterioration in hedgerows which has been brought about by agriculture intensification in the region.
