A review of applications of environmental DNA for reptile conservation and management.

ABSTRACT: Reptile populations are in decline globally, with total reptile abundance halving in the past half century, and approximately a fifth of species currently threatened with extinction. Research on reptile distributions, population trends, and trophic interactions can greatly improve the accuracy of conservation listings and planning for species recovery, but data deficiency is an impediment for many species. Environmental DNA (eDNA) can detect species and measure community diversity at diverse spatio-temporal scales, and is especially useful for detection of elusive, cryptic, or rare species, making it potentially very valuable in herpetology. We aim to summarize the utility of eDNA as a tool for informing reptile conservation and management and discuss the benefits and limitations of this a

SUBMITTER: Nordstrom B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9168342 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature