eDNA metabarcoding provides scalable and continuous biodiversity monitoring across the tree of life

Abstract

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has the potential to substantially expand our knowledge of global biodiversity beyond that provided by conventional approaches. However, the degree to which eDNA data provides real ecological insight, rather than primarily reflecting environmental factors that affect eDNA shedding and degradation, remains unclear. Additional uncertainties arise in terms of cost-effectiveness and whether the price is worth any extra biodiversity information that is gleaned. Here, we established a high-resolution, bi-weekly eDNA time-series in Germany across aquatic and riparian habitats to quantify seasonal biodiversity dynamics, to relate eDNA to different potential environmental drivers, and to parametrize cost estimates. Over one year, eDNA metabarcoding detected more than 1,000 species across multiple trophic levels and primarily revealed real, taxon-specific seasonal patterns, in addition to some relationships to water temperature, discharge, and conductivity. Compared to historical records dating back to 1891, year-round eDNA monitoring increased reported species numbers by 2.4-fold for invertebrates, 2.2-fold for mammals, 1.7-fold for diatoms, 1.2-fold for fish and lamprey, and 1.03-fold for birds. Cumulative biodiversity estimates increased strongly with sampling frequency, demonstrating the value of eDNA for high-frequency time-series monitoring. Moreover, eDNA monitoring was highly cost-effective, providing more than twice the biodiversity information of many conventional surveys for one-sixth the cost, enabling scalable, high-resolution freshwater biodiversity assessments.