Effects of Habitat Size, Vegetation Cover, and Surrounding Land Use on Diptera Diversity in Temperate Nearctic Bogs

Higher Diptera (Schizophora) are taxonomically and ecologically diverse, and include bog specialist and bog-associated species known to respond to peatland disturbance. We examined the effects of three factors (habitat size, vegetation cover and surrounding land use measured in concentric circles of 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 m radii from the sampling location) on Schizophora species richness, diversity, and composition in six temperate eastern Nearctic bogs. A total of 381 species of Schizophora were collected with observed species richness among sites ranging from 96 to 182. Assemblages in apparently similar peatlands were highly variable, but characterized by a few highly dominant species, most of which are not peatland specialists. Bog size had no influence on species richness or diversity. Vegetation cover at the sampling sites and surrounding land use at the largest scales measured (1500 and 2000 m) both influenced species assemblages.