Importance of ground refuges for the biodiversity in agricultural hedgerows

•In agroecosystems ground refuges at the base of hedgerows represent key habitats for many animals.•We used non-lethal rapid biodiversity assessments to sample various morphospecies in hedgerows.•We used co-inertia analyses, a functional index, and predator abundance to compare hedgerows.•Ground refuge availability markedly influenced biodiversity and predator abundance.•Surveys and replanting programs should integrate ground refuges as key elements.