Unveiling Vertebrate Biodiversity in Arid and Semi-Arid Terrestrial Ecosystems Through eDNA Metabarcoding at Savanna Waterholes.

ABSTRACT: Applying environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to samples from waterholes and their surroundings offers a promising approach for monitoring terrestrial vertebrates in semi-arid and arid ecosystems, such as the southern African savannas. However, minimal guidance exists on key sampling design parameters for terrestrial ecosystems, which can significantly influence species detection. This study investigated the effects of sampled substrate, sampling season, and metabarcoding primer pair on species richness and taxonomic group detection in terrestrial vertebrates, with a focus on mammals, using eDNA samples from waterholes in Botsalano Game Reserve, South Africa. A total of 725 eDNA samples were collected from 94 sampling events across wet and dry seasons, detecting 95 species (45 birds, 42

SUBMITTER: Schenekar T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12855164 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature