A field study of dragonfly larvae was performed in 20 lakes situated in boreal forest in northern Sweden (in the southeast of Norrbotten county), accompanied by the study of several habitat variables within the locales; fish presence, composition of water vegetation, forestry and the distribution of Sphagnum moss. None of these variables had a proven effect on the species composition of Odonata. This may be due to the fact that species occurring in the north part of the country are generally more tolerant to environmental variables compared to species with a more southern focus of distribution. A shorter growth season implies prolonged life cycles and should in all probability bring about a greater need for habitat tolerance. When a species occurrence is not strictly random the species richness within a region increases/decreases as a result of the presence/absence of specific species which are sensitive to particular variables in their surroundings (deconstructive approach to species richness). Indicator species (indicating general species richness) were distinguished by implementing an analysis of nestedness and the result was compared to a similar study conducted for central Sweden (Sahlén and Ekestubbe, 2001). E. najas and L. quadrimaculata came forth as suitable indicator species for northern boreal freshwater habitats in this study. In the north they displayed specialist tendencies and were highly selective in their choice of habitats. The same species appears in a very different ecological context when localized to southern Sweden where they are considered trivial species. In addition, temporal follow-ups (repeated stocktakings) of the species composition of small freshwater habitats in this region, and the establishment of accompanying nestedness matrices will allow for the detection of ecological shifts within particular species. These would indicate ongoing restructuring of the Odonate communities and yield information about the impact of climate change.