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Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) has revolutionized ecological research, particularly for biodiversity assessment in various environments, most notably aquatic media. Environmental DNA analysis allows for non‐invasive and rapid species detection across multiple taxonomic groups within a single sample, making it especially useful for identifying rare or invasive species. Due to dynamic hydrological processes, eDNA samples from running waters may represent biodiversity from broad contributing areas, which is convenient from a biomonitoring perspective but also challenging, as hydrological knowledge is required for meaningful biological interpretation. Hydrologists could also benefit from eDNA to address unsolved questions, particularly concerning water movement through catchments. While naturally occurring abiotic tracers have advanced our understanding of water age distribution in catchments, for example, current geochemical tracers cannot fully elucidate the timing and flow paths of water through landscapes. Conversely, biological tracers, owing to their immense diversity and interactions with the environment, could offer more detailed information on the sources and flow paths of water to the stream. The informational capacity of eDNA as a tracer, however, is determined by the ability to interpret the complex biological heterogeneity at a study site, which arguably requires both biological and hydrological expertise. As eDNA data has become increasingly available as part of biomonitoring campaigns, we argue that accompanying eDNA surveys with hydrological observations could enhance our understanding of both biological and hydrological processes; we identify opportunities, challenges, and needs for further interdisciplinary collaboration; and we highlight eDNA's potential as a bridge between hydrology and biology, which could foster both domains. This article is categorized under:Science of Water > Hydrological ProcessesScience of Water > MethodsWater and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems
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Network dynamics revealed from eDNA highlight seasonal variation in urban mammal communities
Abstract Urban ecosystems are expanding rapidly, significantly altering natural landscapes and impacting biodiversity.Here we explore seasonal variation in mammal diversity using environmental DNA (eDNA) from soil samples collected during winter and summer across 21 urban parks in Detroit, Michigan. We estimated gamma (regional), alpha (local) and beta (compositional change) diversity to determine if seasonal shifts, reflecting winter scarcity and summer abundance in mammal community composition and human activity, could be detected using eDNA. We expected that larger parks would exhibit greater diversity and higher seasonal turnover, consistent with the species‐area relationship (SAR) and hypothesised that increased summer resource availability would lead to decreased network density as species disperse more broadly.We found that urban parks show subtle, park‐specific changes in community composition influenced by both ecological and anthropogenic factors, with species including striped skunk, brown rat and groundhog responsible for the observed seasonal variation. Consistent with the SAR, larger parks supported higher species richness and diversity. Ecological network analysis, focusing on metrics such as clustering coefficient and network density, revealed a decrease in the overall connectivity and cohesiveness of species interactions from winter to summer, supporting our hypothesis of broader species dispersal during resource‐rich periods. Notably, human DNA was prevalent in all parks, alongside detections of pig and cow eDNA, potentially reflecting human disturbance and anthropogenic food inputs.Our findings underscore the efficacy of eDNA analysis in capturing urban mammal community dynamics, the impact of human activities on biodiversity and its potential as a valuable tool for urban ecological research. Ultimately, enhancing monitoring capacity aids in conservation and urban planning efforts that will promote human‐wildlife coexistence and preserve the socio‐ecological benefits stemming from biodiversity across cityscapes.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2140322
- PAR ID:
- 10601998
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Animal Ecology
- Volume:
- 94
- Issue:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 0021-8790
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 1587-1602
- Size(s):
- p. 1587-1602
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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