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Peatlands are among the most endangered habitat types on a global scale, particularly vulnerable to changes in hydrological conditions and rainfall reduction due to climate change. In Croatia, small and fragmented areas covered by peatland vegetation are rapidly undergoing succession due to the abandonment of traditional land management practices, additionally facilitated by climate change. However, few studies have attempted to quantify these changes using grasshopper and cricket (Insecta: Orthoptera) assemblages, despite their indicator potential. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to assess the condition of the Trstenik peat bog (Gorski kotar region, Croatia) by comparing abundance, species richness and true diversity of Orthoptera among the central part of the bog, the part completely overgrown by Molinia caerulea, and forest edge. Orthopterans were sampled by pitfall traps from June to October and by sweep-net from July to September on a monthly basis. Most assemblage metrics exhibited similar patterns, regardless of the sampling method used ; significantly lower values were recorded at the forest edge than in the peat bog, likely due to a low degree of canopy openness, but with no statistically significant differences between the central and successional parts of the bog. This finding suggests that succession to Molinia meadows is at an advanced stage even in the central part of the bog, but this should be confirmed with future studies on multiple indicator taxa. |
