Fecal DNA Metabarcoding Reveals the Diet of Asian Elephant in China During the Dry Season: Implications for Adaptation to Habitat Resources and Conservation.

ABSTRACT: The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is a flagship species of the tropical forest ecosystem in Asia, playing a crucial role in maintaining ecological stability. Investigating the dietary composition of Asian elephants is essential for developing effective conservation and management strategies. In this study, a total of 107 fecal samples from different Asian elephant populations in China were analyzed using chloroplast rbcL DNA metabarcoding to systematically examine the dietary composition and diversity of the species. The results show that the foraged resources of the Asian elephant encompass eight classes, 43 orders, 77 families, and 154 genera. At the order level, Poales, Fabales, Rosales, and Zingiberales have the highest proportions, whereas at the family level, Poaceae

SUBMITTER: Guo Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12595460 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature