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Enhancing tropical conservation and ecology research with aquatic environmental DNA methods: an introduction for non‐environmental DNA specialists
Author(s) -
Huerlimann R.,
Cooper M. K.,
Edmunds R. C.,
VillacortaRath C.,
Le Port A.,
Robson H. L. A.,
Strugnell J. M.,
Burrows D.,
Jerry D. R.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
animal conservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.111
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1469-1795
pISSN - 1367-9430
DOI - 10.1111/acv.12583
Subject(s) - biodiversity , environmental dna , threatened species , tropics , ecology , conservation biology , environmental resource management , geography , biology , habitat , environmental science
Biodiversity conservation is a worldwide concern and proper management of threatened species or communities depends on reliable and accurate data collection. Despite the broad utility of environmental DNA (eDNA) for conservation management and the necessity for appropriate biodiversity management in the tropics, eDNA‐based research conducted in tropical regions so far comprises only a small proportion of the cumulative eDNA literature. To address the growing demand for rapid and reliable species and community level ecological data in tropical regions, we provide an aquatic eDNA‐focused review of (1) challenges and considerations for sampling design and inference of eDNA data in the tropics, and (2) eDNA applications relevant to ecological research and biodiversity management in the tropics. We propose that the collaborative incorporation of eDNA sampling with conventional field surveys harbours the potential to revolutionize the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation management in tropical regions.