Evaluation of the Environmental DNA Method for Estimating Distribution and Biomass of Submerged Aquatic Plants.

Saeko Matsuhashi,Sonoko Watanabe,Hideyuki Doi,Ayaka Fujiwara,Toshifumi Minamoto,Andrew R. Mahon

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0156217

Saeko Matsuhashi, Sonoko Watanabe + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156217

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Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: Jun 15, 2016
Citations: 39	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Hyogo, Hiroshima University, Kobe University

Abstract

The environmental DNA (eDNA) method has increasingly been recognized as a powerful tool for monitoring aquatic animal species; however, its application for monitoring aquatic plants is limited. To evaluate eDNA analysis for estimating the distribution of aquatic plants, we compared its estimated distributions with eDNA analysis, visual observation, and past distribution records for the submerged species Hydrilla verticillata. Moreover, we conducted aquarium experiments using H. verticillata and Egeria densa and analyzed the relationships between eDNA concentrations and plant biomass to investigate the potential for biomass estimation. The occurrences estimated by eDNA analysis closely corresponded to past distribution records, and eDNA detections were more frequent than visual observations, indicating that the method is potentially more sensitive. The results of the aquarium experiments showed a positive relationship between plant biomass and eDNA concentration; however, the relationship was not always significant. The eDNA concentration peaked within three days of the start of the experiment in most cases, suggesting that plants do not release constant amounts of DNA. These results showed that eDNA analysis can be used for distribution surveys, and has the potential to estimate the biomass of aquatic plants.

Highlights

Freshwater ecosystems provide resources and habitats for many species [1]; these habitats have been severely damaged by human activities, such as land-use change, hydrological modification, climate change, and biological invasions [2,3]
We developed a specific primers/probe set for H. verticillata and established a species detection method using environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis
We successfully showed that eDNA analysis has great potential for determining the distribution of submerged aquatic plants

Summary

Introduction

Freshwater ecosystems provide resources and habitats for many species [1]; these habitats have been severely damaged by human activities, such as land-use change, hydrological modification, climate change, and biological invasions [2,3]. The biodiversity of freshwater habitats is declining faster than that of terrestrial ecosystems [4,5,6,7], and it is necessary to efficiently monitor and assess the changing biodiversity status for their effective management and conservation. Species distributions and biomass are fundamental for understanding ecosystem and biodiversity status; these are difficult to estimate accurately in aquatic environments.

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