Spider webs capture environmental DNA from terrestrial vertebrates

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Environmental DNA holds significant promise as a non-invasive tool for tracking terrestrial biodiversity. However, in non-homogenous terrestrial environments, the continual exploration of new substrates is crucial. Here we test the hypothesis that spider webs can act as passive biofilters, capturing eDNA from vertebrates present in the local environment. Using a metabarcoding approach, we detected vertebrate eDNA from all analyzed spider webs (N = 49). Spider webs obtained from an Australian woodland locality yielded vertebrate eDNA from 32 different species, including native mammals and birds. In contrast, webs from Perth Zoo, less than 50 km away, yielded eDNA from 61 different vertebrates and produced a highly distinct species composition, largely reflecting exotic species hosted in the zoo. We show that higher animal biomass and proximity to animal enclosures increased eDNA detection probability in the zoo. Our results indicate a tremendous potential for using spider webs as a cost-effective means to monitor terrestrial vertebrates.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummer108904
TidsskriftiScience
Vol/bind27
Udgave nummer2
Antal sider12
ISSN2589-0042
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which the research presented here was undertaken and pay our respects to Elders past and present. This work was funded by Mineral Resources Limited and bioinformatic resources provided by the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre with funding from the Australian Government and the Government of Western Australia. The collection of spider webs was conducted under permits from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions. We would like to thank the Perth Zoo especially Dr Harriet Mills, and Australian Wildlife Conservancy, especially Dr Amanda Bourne and Dr Bryony Palmer for allowing access and collection of spider webs, reviewing initial results, and providing information about the known species community at the sampling sites. We would also like to thank all the members of the TrEnD laboratory for their assistance during the metabarcoding workflow and bioinformatics phases of this project. Conceptualization, JPN, MEA, PWB, and PN; methodology, JPN, MEA, MAC, PWB, and PN; investigation, JPN and MAC; formal analysis, JN; writing – original draft, JPN; writing – review and editing, JPN, MEA, MAC, PWB, and PN; supervision, MEA, PWB, and PN; funding acquisition, PN. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding Information:
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which the research presented here was undertaken and pay our respects to Elders past and present. This work was funded by Mineral Resources Limited and bioinformatic resources provided by the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre with funding from the Australian Government and the Government of Western Australia . The collection of spider webs was conducted under permits from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions. We would like to thank the Perth Zoo especially Dr Harriet Mills, and Australian Wildlife Conservancy, especially Dr Amanda Bourne and Dr Bryony Palmer for allowing access and collection of spider webs, reviewing initial results, and providing information about the known species community at the sampling sites. We would also like to thank all the members of the TrEnD laboratory for their assistance during the metabarcoding workflow and bioinformatics phases of this project.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors

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