Comparative efficacy of eDNA and conventional methods for monitoring wetland anuran communities

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

Ecology and Evolution

Amanda M. Bennett¹  Marie-Josée Fortin²  David Lesbarrères³  Sibelle Torres Vilaça⁴  Brie-Anne A. Breton⁴  Madison Wikston⁴  David V. Beresford⁵  Dennis L. Murray⁵  Christopher J. Kyle⁶  Chris C. Wilson⁷  David M. Green⁸ 

[1]Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada

[2]Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

[3]Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada

[4]Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada

[5]Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada

[6]Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada

[7]Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada

[8]Forensic Science Department, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada

[9]Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada

[10]Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

关键词: environmental DNA (eDNA);    quantitative PCR (qPCR);    environmental monitoring;    species richness;    community composition;    amphibian communities;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fevo.2023.1179158

 received in 2023-03-03, accepted in 2023-06-02,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Documenting biodiversity, species occurrence, and species status require reliable monitoring techniques, but the complex life history and cryptic behavior of many anurans create challenges for conventional monitoring approaches. Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys are a promising alternative (or complement) to conventional anuran monitoring, but their relative success has not been fully tested. We assessed the comparative efficacy of targeted eDNA detection via quantitative PCR (qPCR) and three conventional amphibian survey methods (visual encounter, breeding call, and larval dipnet surveys) for detecting nine anuran species in natural wetlands in southern Ontario, Canada. Our analyses revealed that all assessment methods yielded imperfect detection, with visual encounter and eDNA surveys detecting the greatest species richness and eDNA surveys requiring the fewest sampling events. Amphibian community composition results differed among survey methods and sampling events, and detection efficacy was markedly variable, with some species requiring two to three methods to maximize detection success. Notably, two relatively terrestrial species (Anaxyrus americanus and Hyla versicolor) had relatively low and seasonally variable eDNA detection rates, suggesting that species-specific ecology likely affects eDNA presence or detection. These findings suggest that optimized monitoring for complex anuran communities may require application of multiple monitoring methods, which may need to be tailored to individual target species or communities.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Wikston, Breton, Vilaça, Bennett, Kyle, Beresford, Lesbarrères, Wilson, Green, Fortin and Murray