ORCID Profile
0000-0003-3388-5354
Current Organisation
University of Otago
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-05-2022
DOI: 10.1002/EDN3.306
Abstract: Fauna monitoring often relies on visual monitoring techniques such as camera trapping, which have biases leading to underestimates of vertebrate species ersity. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has emerged as a new source of bio ersity data that may improve biomonitoring however, eDNA‐based assessments of species richness remain relatively untested in terrestrial environments. We investigated the suitability of fallen log hollow sediment as a source of vertebrate eDNA, across two sites in southwestern Australia—one with a Mediterranean climate and the other semi‐arid. We compared two different approaches (camera trapping and eDNA metabarcoding) for monitoring of vertebrate species, and investigated the effect of other factors (frequency of species, timing of visits, frequency of s ling, and body size) on vertebrate species detectability. Metabarcoding of hollow sediments resulted in the detection of higher species richness in comparison (29 taxa: six birds, three reptiles, and 20 mammals) to metabarcoding of soil at the entrance of the hollow (13 taxa: three birds, two reptiles, and eight mammals). We detected 31 taxa in total with eDNA metabarcoding and 47 with camera traps, with 14 taxa detected by both (12 mammals and two birds). By comparing camera trap data with eDNA read abundance, we were able to detect vertebrates through eDNA metabarcoding that had visited the area up to two months prior to s le collection. Larger animals were more likely to be detected, and so were vertebrates that were identified multiple times in the camera traps. These findings demonstrate the importance of substrate selection, frequency of s ling, and animal size, on eDNA‐based monitoring. Future eDNA experimental design should consider all these factors as they affect detection of target taxa.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-08-2018
DOI: 10.1111/REC.12868
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-09-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-022-05254-0
Abstract: Urbanisation modifies natural landscapes resulting in built-up space that is covered by buildings or hard surfaces and managed green spaces that often substitute native plant species with exotics. Some native bee species have been able to adapt to urban environments, foraging and reproducing in these highly modified areas. However, little is known on how the foraging ecology of native bees is affected by urbanised environments, and whether impacts vary among species with different degrees of specialisation for pollen collection. Here, we aim to investigate the responses of native bee foraging behaviour to urbanisation, using DNA metabarcoding to identify the resources within nesting tubes. We targeted oligolectic (specialist) and polylectic (generalist) cavity-nesting bee species in residential gardens and remnant bushland habitats. We were able to identify 40 families, 50 genera, and 23 species of plants, including exotic species, from the contents of nesting tubes. Oligolectic bee species had higher ersity of plant pollen in their nesting tubes in residential gardens compared to bushland habitats, along with significantly different forage composition between the two habitats. This result implies a greater degree of forage flexibility for oligolectic bee species than previously thought. In contrast, the ersity and composition of plant forage in polylectic bee nesting tubes did not vary between the two habitat types. Our results suggest a complex response of cavity-nesting bees to urbanisation and support the need for additional research to understand how the shifts in foraging resources impact overall bee health.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-06-2019
DOI: 10.1111/REC.12976
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-03-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-06-2023
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.14098
Abstract: Severely fragmented habitats increase the risk of extirpation of native mammal populations through isolation, increased edge effects, and predation. Therefore, monitoring the movement of mammal populations through anthropogenically altered landscapes can inform conservation. We used metabarcoding of invertebrate‐derived DNA (iDNA) from carrion flies (Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae) to track mammal populations in the wheat belt of southwestern Australia, where widespread clearing for agriculture has removed most of the native perennial vegetation and replaced it with an agricultural system. We investigated whether the localization of the iDNA signal reflected the predicted distribution of 4 native species—echidna ( Tachyglossus aculeatus ), numbat ( Myrmecobius fasciatus ), woylie ( Bettongia penicillata ), and chuditch ( Dasyurus geoffroii )—and 2 non‐native, invasive mammal species—fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) and feral cat ( Felis catus ). We collected bulk iDNA s les ( n = 150 s les from 3428 carrion flies) at 3 time points from 3 conservation reserves and 35 road edges between them. We detected 14 of the 40 mammal species known from the region, including our target species. Most detections of target taxa were in conservation reserves. There were a few detections from road edges. We detected foxes and feral cats throughout the study area, including all conservation reserves. There was a significant difference between the ersity ( F 3, 98 = 5.91, p 0.001) and composition ( F 3, 43 = 1.72, p 0.01) of taxa detections on road edges and conservation reserves. Conservation reserves hosted more native bio ersity than road edges. Our results suggest that the signals from iDNA reflect the known distribution of target mammals in this region. The development of iDNA methods shows promise for future noninvasive monitoring of mammals. With further development, iDNA metabarcoding could inform decision‐making related to conservation of endangered taxa, invasive species management, and impacts of habitat fragmentation.
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 18-01-2022
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-1256295/V1
Abstract: Urbanisation modifies natural landscapes resulting in built-up space and managed green spaces that often substitute native plant species with exotics. Some native bee species have been able to adapt to urban environments, foraging and reproducing in these highly modified areas. However, little is known on how the foraging ecology of native bees is affected by urbanised environments, and whether impacts vary among species with different degrees of specialisation for pollen collection. Here, we aim to investigate the responses of native bee foraging behaviour to urbanisation, using DNA metabarcoding to identify the resources within nesting tubes. We targeted oligolectic (specialist) and polylectic (generalist) cavity-nesting bee species in residential gardens and remnant bushland habitats. We were able to identify 40 families, 50 genera, and 23 species of plants, including exotic species. Oligolectic bee species had higher alpha ersity of plant pollen in their nesting tubes in residential gardens compared to bushland habitats, along with significantly different forage composition between the two habitats. This result implies a greater degree of forage flexibility and urban adaptation for oligolectic bee species than previously thought. In contrast, the richness and composition of plant forage in polylectic bee nesting tubes did not vary between the two habitat types. Our results suggest a complex response of cavity-nesting bees to urbanisation and support the need for additional research to understand how the shifts in foraging resources impact overall bee health.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2023
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Kristen Fernandes.