Magnusson, W. E. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2019

Assessing the potential of environmental DNA metabarcoding for monitoring Neotropical mammals: a case study in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest, Brazil

The application of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding as a biomonitoring tool has greatly increased in the last decade. However, most studies have focused on aquatic macro-organisms in temperate areas (e.g., fishes). We apply eDNA metabarcoding to detect the mammalian community in two high-biodiversity regions of Brazil, the Amazon and Atlantic Forest. We identified critically endangered and endangered mammalian species in the Atlantic Forest and Amazon respectively and found congruence with species identified via camera trapping in the Atlantic Forest. In light of our results, we highlight the potential and challenges of eDNA monitoring for mammals in these high biodiverse areas.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Butterfly assemblages from Amazonian flooded forests are not more species-poor than from unflooded forests

The Amazonian flooded and upland forests harbour distinct assemblages of most taxonomic groups. These differences can be mainly attributed to flooding, which may affect directly or indirectly the persistence of species. Here, we compare the density, richness and composition of butterfly assemblages in vaorzea and terra firme forests, and evaluate whether terrain elevation and flooding can be used to predict the assemblage structure. We found that the total abundance and number of species per plot is higher in vaorzea than in terra firme forests. Vaorzea assemblages showed a higher dominance of abundant species than terra firme assemblages, in which low-flying Haeterini butterflies had higher abundance. After standardizing species richness by sample size and/or coverage, species richness estimates for vaorzea and terra firme forests were similar. There was strong turnover in species composition across vaorzea and terra firme forests associated with terrain elevation, most likely due to differences in the duration of flooding. Despite a smaller total area, less defined vegetation strata, more frequent disturbances and the younger geological age of floodplain forests, Nymphalid butterfly assemblages are not more species poor there than in unflooded forests.

ecology↗