Synchronised monitoring of plant and insect diversity: a case study using automated Malaise traps and DNA-based methods.

ABSTRACT: The occurrence and distribution of insects and their possible associations with plant species are largely unknown in Germany and baseline data to monitor future trends are urgently needed. Using newly-designed automated Malaise trap multi-samplers, the occurrence of insect species and their potential associations with plants was monitored synchronously at two contrasting field sites in Germany: an urban botanical garden and a forest research station. Taxa were identified by metabarcoding of the insects and the plant traces present in the preservative ethanol of the Malaise trap samples. For comparison, a botanical survey was conducted in the vicinity of the traps. Across both sites, we identified a total of 1290 exact sequence variants (ESVs) assigned to Insecta, of which 205 are known to

SUBMITTER: Thomas LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11303846 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature