A likely association of damselflies with the habitat heterogeneity provided by the freshwater swamp lily,<i>Ottelia ovalifolia</i>, in Eyre Peninsula granite rock-holes, with a review of potential threats to this ephemeral habitat

Hedges, Brock A.; Austin, A. D.; Conran, John G.; Taylor, Gary S.; Madden, Christopher; Weinstein, Philip

doi:10.1080/03721426.2021.1996878

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 39 publications

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“…In water‐limited environments, both natural and human‐constructed (artificial) water bodies are critical water sources for animals (Davies, 1972 ; Hedges et al, 2021 ; James et al, 1999 ; Redfern et al, 2003 ). Consequently, these water bodies may be particularly rich sources of eDNA and important for biodiversity monitoring as they can provide a broad snapshot of biodiversity over a wide area given that animals may migrate over vast distances to water(.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of vertebrates from natural and artificial inland water bodies in a semi‐arid habitat using eDNA from filtered, swept, and sediment samples

McDonald

Bateman

Cooper

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Biomonitoring is vital for establishing baseline data that is needed to identify and quantify ecological change and to inform management and conservation activities. However, biomonitoring and biodiversity assessment in arid environments, which are predicted to cover 56% of the Earth's land surface by 2100, can be prohibitively time consuming, expensive, and logistically challenging due to their often remote and inhospitable nature. Sampling of environmental DNA (eDNA) coupled with high‐throughput sequencing is an emerging biodiversity assessment method. Here we explore the application of eDNA metabarcoding and various sampling approaches to estimate vertebrate richness and assemblage at human‐constructed and natural water sources in a semi‐arid region of Western Australia. Three sampling methods: sediment samples, filtering through a membrane with a pump, and membrane sweeping in the water body, were compared using two eDNA metabarcoding assays, 12S‐V5 and 16smam, for 120 eDNA samples collected from four gnammas (gnamma: Australian Indigenous Noongar language term–granite rock pools) and four cattle troughs in the Great Western Woodlands, Western Australia. We detected higher vertebrate richness in samples from cattle troughs and found differences between assemblages detected in gnammas (more birds and amphibians) and cattle troughs (more mammals, including feral taxa). Total vertebrate richness was not different between swept and filtered samples, but all sampling methods yielded different assemblages. Our findings indicate that eDNA surveys in arid lands will benefit from collecting multiple samples at multiple water sources to avoid underestimating vertebrate richness. The high concentration of eDNA in small, isolated water bodies permits the use of sweep sampling that simplifies sample collection, processing, and storage, particularly when assessing vertebrate biodiversity across large spatial scales.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of vertebrates from natural and artificial inland water bodies in a semi‐arid habitat using eDNA from filtered, swept, and sediment samples

McDonald

Bateman

Cooper

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Environmental DNA reveals temporal and spatial variability of invertebrate communities in arid-lands ephemeral water bodies

Hedges,

Beasley-Hall,

Dorey

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Context: Throughout semi-arid and arid Australia surface freshwater is rare, and where it does occur, it is often ephemeral. This is the case for freshwater granite rock-holes that occur throughout much of southern Australia. Rock-holes support freshwater invertebrate communities, however, the ongoing threat of climate change means that this ecosystem is likely to experience hydrological disruptions. Rock-holes are also likely to be heavily impacted by invasive vertebrates. However, the ecology of this ecosystem is poorly understood despite its relative ecological significance and the extent of its associated threats. Aims and methods: To provide a baseline ecological understanding of this ecosystem we documented species richness and variability at a series of rock-holes in the Gawler bioregion in South Australia using an environmental DNA approach. Key results: Metabarcoding recorded invertebrates from 22 orders and 45 families. Community composition varied among rock-holes and throughout the year, with a peak in species richness in winter. Conclusions and implications: These findings demonstrate the importance of these ecosystems to a range of endemic taxa. We propose establishment of monitoring programs, development of custom barcode reference libraries for the rock-hole ecosystem and future research into the likely impacts of climate change on the communities associated with them.

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A likely association of damselflies with the habitat heterogeneity provided by the freshwater swamp lily,Ottelia ovalifolia, in Eyre Peninsula granite rock-holes, with a review of potential threats to this ephemeral habitat

Cited by 2 publications

References 39 publications

Detection of vertebrates from natural and artificial inland water bodies in a semi‐arid habitat using eDNA from filtered, swept, and sediment samples

Detection of vertebrates from natural and artificial inland water bodies in a semi‐arid habitat using eDNA from filtered, swept, and sediment samples

Environmental DNA reveals temporal and spatial variability of invertebrate communities in arid-lands ephemeral water bodies

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