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Environmental DNA time series analysis of a temperate stream reveals distinct seasonal community and functional shifts
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  • Mandy Sander,
  • Arne Beermann,
  • Dominik Buchner,
  • Iris Madge Pimentel,
  • James Sinclair,
  • Martina Weiss,
  • Peter Haase,
  • Florian Leese
Mandy Sander
Universitat Duisburg-Essen - Campus Essen

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Arne Beermann
Universitat Duisburg-Essen - Campus Essen
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Dominik Buchner
Universitat Duisburg-Essen - Campus Essen
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Iris Madge Pimentel
Universitat Duisburg-Essen - Campus Essen
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James Sinclair
Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum
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Martina Weiss
Universitat Duisburg-Essen - Campus Essen
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Peter Haase
Universitat Duisburg-Essen - Campus Essen
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Florian Leese
Universitat Duisburg-Essen - Campus Essen
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Abstract

Environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from water is routinely used in river biodiversity research, and via metabarcoding eDNA can provide comprehensive taxa lists with little effort and cost. However, eDNA-based species detection in streams and rivers may be influenced by sampling season and other key factors such as water temperature and discharge. Research linking these factors and also informing on the potential of eDNA metabarcoding to detect shifts in ecological signatures, such as species phenology and functional feeding groups across seasons, is missing. To address this gap, we collected water samples every two weeks for 15 months at a long-term ecological research (LTER) site and at three different positions in the river’s cross section, specifically the water surface, riverbed, and riverbank. For these 102 samples, we analyzed macroinvertebrate species and molecular Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) richness and temporal community turnover across seasons based on COI metabarcoding data. Using Generalized Additive Models, we found a significant influence of sampling season on species richness. Community turnover followed a cyclic pattern, reflecting the continuous change of the macroinvertebrate community throughout the year (‘seasonal clock’). Although water temperature had no influence on the inferred species richness, higher discharge reduced the number of Annelida and Ephemeroptera species detectable with eDNA. Most macroinvertebrate taxa showed the highest species richness in spring, in particular merolimnic species with univoltine life cycles. Further, we detected an increase in proportion of shredders in winter and of parasites in summer. Our results show the usefulness of highly resolved eDNA metabarcoding time series data for ecological research and biodiversity monitoring in streams and rivers.
27 Sep 2023Submitted to River Research and Applications
14 Feb 20241st Revision Received
14 Feb 2024Submission Checks Completed
14 Feb 2024Assigned to Editor
14 Feb 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Feb 2024Editorial Decision: Accept