Rapid beetle community convergence following experimental habitat restoration in a mined peat bog

摘要: Abstract The rate of recovery invertebrate communities following habitat restoration has received little attention, despite the importance invertebrates in ecosystem dynamics. In experimental trials a mined peat bog New Zealand, we compared short-term beetle community re-assembly at sites restored using management techniques varying cost and effort to implement, subsequently examined long-term convergence towards ‘target’ structure an undisturbed bog. There was direct relationship between applied plant treatments (processed with no seed, processed translocation). To test longer term restoration, monitored assemblages on chronosequence islands which initiated 1, 13, 24, 25, 42 72 months previously. With increasing age, became more diverse structurally complex, composition converged rapidly target Using simple linear regression analysis ordination axis scores, obtained quantitative prediction that would converge average within just 7–8.5 years. Our results clearly show rapid can occur response focused establishing vegetation structure. Even use low-cost technique seed added) effective initiating remarkably cutover bogs 10