European regional assessment: Near threatened (NT)
EU 27 regional assessment: Near threatened (NT)

Somatochlora alpestris is a boreo-alpine species widespread and common in a large part of its northern range where there are no indications of a decline. It has however a fragmented occurrence in the Alps and in some other mountain ranges in the south-southeast of Europe where it is generally uncommon. It has been assessed as threatened in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia. It has not been found in Slovenia since the end of the 20^th century. The species is adversely affected by climate change, with altitudinal range shifts and distributional shrinkage which may result in rapid decline and local extinction of isolated occurrences in Central Europe. It is suspected that the species in the near future will further decline in the latter part of its range and thus drastically reduce its European extent of occurrence. The decline is projected to be less than 20% in the next decade and therefore it is assessed as Near threatened (A3c) in Europe as well as in the EU 27.

S. alpestris occurs from western Norway to Kamchatka in the east but with large gaps in its known distribution. In Europe, it is a boreo-alpine species with main occurrence in northern Fennoscandia and probably also in the north-western part of European Russia. In the north it occurs down to sea level where it is less common compared to the inland. In Central Europe it is mainly limited to mountain ranges 800 metres above sea level which are completely isolated from the populations in the north. The species is fairly widespread in most of the Alps but has a patchy distribution in other central European mountains, such as the Vosges, Harz, Tatra and Carpathians (Billqvist et al. 2019, Boudot 2015, Boudot 2010). There is no proof on the species' presence in Slovenia since 1999 (Vinko et al. 2022).

S. alpestris has its European strongholds in Finland, Norway, Sweden and probably in Russia. It occurs from latitude 60° N but with large gaps regarding the species' known distribution. This is especially true for Russia but also regionally in Sweden, where data are lacking due to the enormous area that the species probably occurs in. It is easily overlooked and observed adults in a locality do not reflect the total number of exuviae which can be found during the emergence period. Based on exuviae, the population sizes vary from one site to another and are dependent on the micro-habitats that fit larval requirements. It occurs up to at least 700 metres above sea level in Fennoscandia (Billqvist et al. 2019, Boudot 2010).
In the rest of Europe, it is confined to some of the mountain ranges where it is mainly found between 600 and 2,500 m asl, with the majority restricted to a small altitudinal range between 1,600 m and 1,800 m asl. It is fairly widespread in most of the Alps but occurs more patchy and with often isolated outposts in other Central European mountains, such as the Vosges in France; Erzgebirge, Fichtelgebirge, Harz, Thuringian Forest and Black Forest in Germany; and Tatra and Carpathians in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania. Some of these sites may consist of more individual-rich populations, but the species is still is vulnerable to local extinction. Fieldwork in the Carpathians has shown that it is probably more widespread there than previously thought, but on the other hand the distribution trend for the Czech Republic as a whole is negative. A previous claim of the species' occurrence from Bulgaria has been considered incorrect (Boudot 2015, De Knijf et al. 2011).

S. alpestris is a cold-adapted species and therefore mainly found in areas with long winters and short summers with low air temperature. It prefers small sites below the tree line with stagnant water and the presence of Sphagnum, in nutrient-poor open to semi-open environments on bogs, in marshes and peat excavations, both in the taiga and on the tundra. The larvae are tolerant to deep periods of freezing and desiccation, while the adults are sensitive to snowfall (Billqvist et al. 2019, Boudot 2015).

S. alpestris forages in clearings in forest, along forest roads and on other sunlit open lands in forest or bog environments. It rests mostly in trees and shrubs and is rarely seen directly on the ground. It is most often seen in single specimens, but several individuals can be observed during foraging and when they emerge. The male patrols low and slow and flies back and forth within a limited area. It usually stops flying as early as the beginning of August, but since the species is reported relatively rarely, we currently know quite little about its flight time, at least in the northern part of its distribution. The larvae live in shallow water or in wet Sphagnum. The exuviae are left low on straws in the water or along the waters’ edge (Billqvist et al. 2019).

S. alpestris does not face any threats in the northern part of its range. In the south it has been assessed as threatened in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia. It has not been found in Slovenia since the end of the 20th century and is considered Near Threatened in Switzerland. The pollution and destruction of peat bogs, peaty swamps, and moorlands due to livestock excrements with eutrophication and trampling is a strong threat in the mountains of Central Europe. Tourism development may destroy some localities in the Alpine region. In addition, the natural succession of peaty habitats to dry lands may lead to the extinction of the species. Therefore, the abandonment of artisanal small scale peat extraction activities leads to peat bog closure in favour of "dry" heath, grasslands, and forests. Climate change amplifies this process, threatening the species all over its southern range with expected altitudinal range shifts and distributional shrinkage which will greatly affect the species' European EOO.

There is no trade or use of this species.

S. alpestris still thrives in the northern and larger part of its distribution and locally also presently on higher elevations in most of its Central European range. The impact of future climate change and nitrogen deposition is difficult to estimate but no conservation measures are needed in the northern part of its range.
The isolated populations in Central Europe require immediate notice and these should receive national attention, including monitoring of its distribution and population trends. In the south of its range, the protection of breeding habitats is needed, and local habitats should be preserved from access by livestock. The creation of water holes and small excavations in Sphagnum peat bogs is likely to create favourable micro habitats for this species and should be recommended whenever peat bogs become dry through natural succession or abnormal drought periods.