Estimating fish alpha- and beta-diversity along a small stream with environmental DNA metabarcoding

By

Li, Yiyuan
Evans, Nathan T.
Renshaw, Mark A.
Jerde, Christopher L.
Olds, Brett P.
Shogren, Arial J.
Deiner, Kristy
Lodge, David M.
Lamberti, Gary A.
Pfrender, Michael E.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018-5-14

Original Publication

Metabarcoding and metagenomics

Volume

2

Pages

1--11

Subjects

biodiversity assessment , biomonitoring , Edna , high throughput sequencing , α-diversity , β-diversity

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2017-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.2.24262

 

Abstract

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has been increasingly applied to biodiversity surveys in stream ecosystems. In stream networks, the accuracy of eDNA-based biodiversity assessment depends on whether the upstream eDNA influx affects downstream detection. Biodiversity assessment in low-discharge streams should be less influenced by eDNA transport than in high-discharge streams. We estimated α- and β-diversity of the fish community from eDNA samples collected in a small Michigan (USA) stream from its headwaters to its confluence with a larger river. We found that α-diversity increased from upstream to downstream and, as predicted, we found a significant positive correlation between β-diversity and physical distance (stream length) between locations indicating species turnover along the longitudinal stream gradient. Sample replicates and different genetic markers showed similar species composition, supporting the consistency of the eDNA metabarcoding approach to estimate α- and β-diversity of fishes in low-discharge streams.