Abstract Pollinating insects are central to current EU biodiversity and restoration targets, yet their potential as indicators of biodiversity change in newly established native woodlands remains underexplored. As afforestation expands to address climate and ecological goals, selecting appropriate biodiversity metrics is critical, particularly in young plantations where traditional forest indicators may overlook early successional dynamics. This study evaluates bees and hoverflies as indicators of biodiversity change in newly planted and transitioning native woodlands in Ireland. We surveyed pollinator communities across 18 plantations using pan traps and transect walks, testing three hypotheses: (1) pollinator communities change predictably along the transition from open to closed‐canopy woodland; (2) bees and hoverflies show distinct, trait‐driven responses to woodland development; and (3) sampling method, timing and metric choice influence interpretations of community change. Species composition, beta diversity and interaction networks revealed clearer successional patterns than richness or abundance alone. Open habitat specialists declined with canopy closure, yet woodland specialists were slow to appear, indicating a lag between habitat development and faunal colonisation. Bees responded primarily to local habitat and floral resources, making them strong indicators of site‐level woodland development, whereas hoverflies were more strongly influenced by off‐site land‐use patterns. Differences among metrics further shaped ecological interpretations, emphasising the need for multi‐metric, methodologically consistent monitoring. Practical implication: Pollinators, particularly bees, offer sensitive and policy‐relevant indicators of early woodland development, supporting the design of effective biodiversity monitoring frameworks for native afforestation and aligning directly with the evidence requirements of the EU Nature Restoration Law.
Harrington et al. (Thu,) studied this question.