Coll, John (2016) The diversity and composition of moth assemblages of protected and degraded raised bogs in Ireland. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 9 (4). pp. 302-319. ISSN 1752-458X

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Abstract

1. Peatlands are globally important habitats, which act as net carbon stores. As a result of drainage, peat extraction and agricultural intensification, raised bogs in the midlands of Ireland are a diminishing and increasingly fragmented peatland habitat. A network of protected sites has been established, which is intended to represent the best abiotic and plant community systems. 2. Lepidoteran communities are an important component of raised bog biodiversity and may be useful as biodiversity indicators, yet they are a neglected area of research. 3. We address this by surveying night-flying macro-moths on six protected and six degraded raised bogs to establish whether there is a distinct moth fauna associated with the wettest areas of protected sites by comparing them to assemblages found on degraded sites where this wet habitat has been lost. 4. In general, differences between moth assemblages on protected and degraded raised bogs are rather subtle, with assemblages on both site types generally similar. But, a number of species were found to be associated with protected sites, three of which are bog-associated species of conservation concern and may be particularly vulnerable due to the continuing loss of the wettest areas of raised bogs. 5. Degraded sites were found to harbour a significant number of bog-associated species of conservation concern and may have a role to play in peatland invertebrate conservation, hitherto undervalued. To determine this, further research is required to describe the invertebrate fauna of these sites and of marginal areas of protected sites.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Biodiversity; Biodiversity indicators; Degraded sites; Invertebrate conservation; Lepidoteran communities; Moths; Protected sites; Raised bogs; Natura 2000; Habitats Directive;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units, ICARUS
Item ID:	8727
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12167
Depositing User:	Dr John Coll
Date Deposited:	05 Sep 2017 13:52
Journal or Publication Title:	Insect Conservation and Diversity
Publisher:	Wiley
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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