Landscape ecological networks are successful in supporting a diverse dragonfly assemblage

Abstract

Abstract Ecological networks (ENs) are able to mitigate the negative effects of commercial forestry on terrestrial biodiversity, yet this remains untested for the aquatic fauna. Understanding the anthropogenic and natural variables that drive dragonfly diversity at the landscape and habitat scales, allows the design and implementation of ENs that minimise biodiversity loss across production landscapes. Here, we determine the relative contribution of anthropogenic disturbances and natural environmental variables to dragonfly assemblages within ENs. Sixty sites, of various freshwater body types, were sampled for adult dragonflies across ENs in a commercial forestry landscape. Overall, species richness was significantly influenced by river width, water turbidity, water depth and the presence of invasive plants. Nevertheless, overall species composition was influenced by water body type, flow rate and substrate type. Further differences were found when analyses were conducted separately for Anisoptera and Zygoptera. Counter‐intuitively, anthropogenic disturbances had less effect on dragonfly species richness and composition than did natural environmental variables, emphasising the importance of conserving natural heterogeneity. Overall, dragonfly diversity can be successfully conserved in ENs provided that conservation planning incorporates appropriate local scale variables. These results also suggest that impacts on water quality and dragonfly diversity are minimised by well‐designed ENs within this production landscape.