Application of eDNA Metabarcoding for Detecting Anura on a Tropical Island

Wenhao Li,Yiming Li,Tianjian Song,Chunxia Xu,Mingshuo Qin,Xianglei Hou

doi:10.3390/d13090440

Abstract

As anuran biodiversity quickly declines, it is important to understand local patterns of anuran occurrence. However, the limitations of traditional sampling methods make anuran biodiversity surveys inadequate. Tropical environments are rich in anuran species, which makes biodiversity measurements more difficult. Therefore, it is important to develop a rapid, inexpensive and nondestructive method to measure anuran biodiversity in tropical environments. We used eDNA metabarcoding to measure anuran diversity at 288 sites in 18 regions of Hainan Island. We also used traditional methods and compared the results with those obtained through the eDNA metabarcoding methods. We detected 9 anuran species by traditional sampling methods. We produced 626 million reads by eDNA metabarcoding and assigned them to 15 anuran species. Therefore, eDNA metabarcoding can be used for rapid and large-scale anuran biodiversity surveys.

Highlights

One of the key features of the Anthropocene is the increase in global extinction [1].With the continuous impact of humans on land use, climate change and the emergence of wildlife infectious diseases, the threat to biodiversity will become increasingly severe [1,2].Amphibians are a vulnerable group, and many species have experienced declines in population size, diminishing distribution and extinction [3,4]
After sampling with the traditional line transect method (TLTM), environmental DNA (eDNA) was collected from water samples
Analysis, 25,472,437 ter sampling with the TLTM, eDNA

Summary

Introduction

One of the key features of the Anthropocene is the increase in global extinction [1]. Amphibians are a vulnerable group, and many species have experienced declines in population size, diminishing distribution and extinction [3,4]. Accurate detection of amphibian species in the environment will contribute to their protection. Assessing the distribution or occurrence of amphibians is a key step in the study of amphibian diversity. When species are not abundant and organisms cannot be observed directly, it may be difficult to complete these assessments [5].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion