Effects of ditch management patterns on Odonata at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, UK Original Research Article

Patterns of adult and larval Odonata distribution in relation to ditch management cycles were studied at Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve. The ditches are strikingly different in terms of their utilisation by Odonata. Newly excavated sites with little shading from bankside vegetation are favoured by territorial males and ovipositing females; densely reeded sites are rarely used by adults. However, ditches with abundant submerged and floating macrophytic growth support more larvae than newly excavated or deeply shaded sites with poor plant development. Rotational clearance of ditches allows good displays of adult Odonata and breeding success to be achieved simultaneously on a reserve. Management implications for the conservation of Odonata are discussed.