Abstract Peatlands, particularly raised bogs, are vital for mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss. While restoration efforts are on the rise, assessing their effectiveness remains challenging. Research in restoration ecology often remains limited in scope, focusing on single taxonomic groups or on areas with limited restoration potential. This study aims to overcome these limitations by using a multi-taxa approach and examining a restored bog in close proximity to pristine sites within Sweden’s Store Mosse National Park. We focused on spiders, odonates, and diurnal butterflies as they serve as complementary indicators of restoration success. Our findings suggest that specialist bog arthropods can recolonize restored areas. We observed distinct species compositions between the three habitat types, particularly between the raised bog and the transition mire. However, aside from a higher abundance of tyrphobiontic odonates in the restored bog than in the raised bog, the numbers of tyrphophil and tyrphobiontic species were similar across the habitats. Hygrophilous spiders were more prevalent in the transition mire and to a lesser degree in the restored bog but less so in the pristine raised bog. One reason for this are the open water bodies in the restored bog and transition mire. These results underscore the significance of surrounding landscape, suitable restoration techniques and habitat conditions for successful restoration and highlight the potential of transition mires and restored bogs as refuges for hygrophilous species in the face of degradation, succession, and climate change.
Schlüter et al. (Thu,) studied this question.