Progressive vegetation succession of fen habitats promotes the lack of habitat specialist ants

摘要: Vegetation succession, drainage, and climate change are causes of peatland habitat loss in the Western Balkans. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) one most ecologically important invertebrate taxa terrestrial ecosystems. To explore whether, to what extent, fen ant communities specialized, we sampled an alkaline fen, adjacent habitats undergoing vegetation surrounding beech forest west-central Croatia. Here, show how a its differ community structure, which environmental variables (soil temperature, moisture, pH) have strongest impact shaping those communities. In two growing seasons sampling recorded 16 species, none were specialists. While species richness did not between sites, diversity was highest at succession site. Specific conditions limit colony establishment allow survival small subset from habitats. Consequently, only (Myrmica rubra Lasius platythorax) abundant Their presence other study sites indicates that fauna is composed generalist species. The composition differed successional it strongly affected by soil pH. these islands completely lacks peatland-specific Knowing more about disappearing will help us predict future biodiversity losses similar threatened succession.