How do communities of different organisms respond to insularity in a fragmented mire habitat?

Principle investigator: M. Hájek, MU Brno
Co-PI: Karel Prach
Funding provider: Czech Science Foundation (GA ČR)
Grant number: 24-10844S
Duration: 2024-2026

Fens are naturally insular habitats that have recently experienced rapid deterioration. To effectively protect and restore them, we need to know which processes of island biogeography are essential for their key biotic communities. Our goal is to test the position of communities of eight contrasting groups of fen micro- and macroorganisms on the gradient of insularity, using original data collected on the same fen patches, and to quantify the dependence of fen habitat remnants on connectivity or isolation. The groups of organisms were selected based on known life-history traits. They represent different dispersal and persistence strategies, life spans, and degrees of habitat specialisation. Four are commonly fossilised in fens. Thus we will consider the legacy effects examined for individual fens using radiocarbon dating and subfossil biotic compositions. We will work with poor and rich fens at a regional scale, with exploratory scaling up to a European scale for plants. Besides theoretical outputs, we expect the application of results in habitat conservancy and restoration.