TY - JOUR

T1 - Environmental DNA analysis as an emerging non-destructive method for plant biodiversity monitoring

T2 - a review

AU - Banerjee, Pritam

AU - Stewart, Kathryn A.

AU - Dey, Gobinda

AU - Antognazza, Caterina M.

AU - Sharma, Raju Kumar

AU - Maity, Jyoti Prakash

AU - Saha, Santanu

AU - Doi, Hideyuki

AU - de Vere, Natasha

AU - Chan, Michael W. Y.

AU - Lin, Pin-Yun

AU - Chao, Hung-Chun

AU - Chen, Chien-Yen

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has recently become a successful cost and time-efficient biomonitoring technique. Application of eDNA also has considerable potential for plants, for the successful detection of invasive, endangered and rare species, and community-level interpretations. Monitoring methods using eDNA were found to be equal to or more effective than traditional methods; however, species detection increased when the two methods were combined. Currently, elimination of potential obstacles and the development of user-friendly protocols would greatly contribute to comprehensive eDNA-based plant monitoring programs. This is particularly needed in the data-depauperate tropics and for some less-concern plant groups.Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has recently transformed and modernized biodiversity monitoring. The accurate detection, and to some extent quantification, of organisms (individuals/populations/communities) in environmental samples is galvanizing eDNA as a successful cost and time-efficient biomonitoring technique. Currently, eDNA's application to plants remains more limited in implementation and scope compared to animals and microorganisms. This review evaluates the development of eDNA-based methods for (vascular) plants, comparing its performance and power of detection with that of traditional methods, to critically evaluate and advise best-practices needed to innovate plant biomonitoring. Recent advancements, standardization and field applications of eDNA-based methods have provided enough scope to utilize it in conservation biology for numerous organisms. Despite our review demonstrating only 13% of all eDNA studies focus on plant taxa to date, eDNA has considerable environmental DNA has considerable potential for plants, where successful detection of invasive, endangered and rare species, and community-level interpretations have provided proof-of-concept. Monitoring methods using eDNA were found to be equal or more effective than traditional methods; however, species detection increased when both methods were coupled. Additionally, eDNA methods were found to be effective in studying species interactions, community dynamics and even effects of anthropogenic pressure. Currently, elimination of potential obstacles (e.g. lack of relevant DNA reference libraries for plants) and the development of user-friendly protocols would greatly contribute to comprehensive eDNA-based plant monitoring programs. This is particularly needed in the data-depauperate tropics and for some plant groups (e.g., Bryophytes and Pteridophytes). We further advocate to coupling traditional methods with eDNA approaches, as the former is often cheaper and methodologically more straightforward, while the latter offers non-destructive approaches with increased discrimination ability. Furthermore, to make a global platform for eDNA, governmental and academic-industrial collaborations are essential to make eDNA surveys a broadly adopted and implemented, rapid, cost-effective and non-invasive plant monitoring approach.

AB - Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has recently become a successful cost and time-efficient biomonitoring technique. Application of eDNA also has considerable potential for plants, for the successful detection of invasive, endangered and rare species, and community-level interpretations. Monitoring methods using eDNA were found to be equal to or more effective than traditional methods; however, species detection increased when the two methods were combined. Currently, elimination of potential obstacles and the development of user-friendly protocols would greatly contribute to comprehensive eDNA-based plant monitoring programs. This is particularly needed in the data-depauperate tropics and for some less-concern plant groups.Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has recently transformed and modernized biodiversity monitoring. The accurate detection, and to some extent quantification, of organisms (individuals/populations/communities) in environmental samples is galvanizing eDNA as a successful cost and time-efficient biomonitoring technique. Currently, eDNA's application to plants remains more limited in implementation and scope compared to animals and microorganisms. This review evaluates the development of eDNA-based methods for (vascular) plants, comparing its performance and power of detection with that of traditional methods, to critically evaluate and advise best-practices needed to innovate plant biomonitoring. Recent advancements, standardization and field applications of eDNA-based methods have provided enough scope to utilize it in conservation biology for numerous organisms. Despite our review demonstrating only 13% of all eDNA studies focus on plant taxa to date, eDNA has considerable environmental DNA has considerable potential for plants, where successful detection of invasive, endangered and rare species, and community-level interpretations have provided proof-of-concept. Monitoring methods using eDNA were found to be equal or more effective than traditional methods; however, species detection increased when both methods were coupled. Additionally, eDNA methods were found to be effective in studying species interactions, community dynamics and even effects of anthropogenic pressure. Currently, elimination of potential obstacles (e.g. lack of relevant DNA reference libraries for plants) and the development of user-friendly protocols would greatly contribute to comprehensive eDNA-based plant monitoring programs. This is particularly needed in the data-depauperate tropics and for some plant groups (e.g., Bryophytes and Pteridophytes). We further advocate to coupling traditional methods with eDNA approaches, as the former is often cheaper and methodologically more straightforward, while the latter offers non-destructive approaches with increased discrimination ability. Furthermore, to make a global platform for eDNA, governmental and academic-industrial collaborations are essential to make eDNA surveys a broadly adopted and implemented, rapid, cost-effective and non-invasive plant monitoring approach.

KW - DNA barcoding

KW - DNA metabarcoding

KW - environmental DNA (eDNA)

KW - molecular ecology

KW - non-destructive biodiversity monitoring

KW - plant conservation

KW - population management

KW - INVASIVE PLANTS

KW - POLLEN

KW - SCIENCE

KW - EDNA

KW - IDENTIFICATION

KW - CONSERVATION

KW - PURIFICATION

KW - EXTRACTION

KW - VEGETATION

KW - EFFICIENT

U2 - 10.1093/aobpla/plac031

DO - 10.1093/aobpla/plac031

M3 - Review

C2 - 35990516

VL - 14

JO - AoB PLANTS

JF - AoB PLANTS

SN - 2041-2851

IS - 4

M1 - plac031

ER -