Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
New Jersey Pinelands Commission, Pemberton, New Jersey, USA.
Conserv Biol. 2022 Dec;36(6):e13939. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13939. Epub 2022 Aug 24.
Reptiles are increasingly of conservation concern due to their susceptibility to habitat loss, emerging disease, and harvest in the wildlife trade. However, reptile populations are often difficult to monitor given the frequency of crypsis in their life history. This difficulty has left uncertain the conservation status of many species and the efficacy of conservation actions unknown. Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys consistently elevate the detection rate of species they are designed to monitor, and while their use is promising for terrestrial reptile conservation, successes in developing such surveys have been sparse. We tested the degree to which inclusion of surface and soil eDNA sampling into conventional artificial-cover methods elevates the detection probability of a small, cryptic terrestrial lizard, Scincella lateralis. The eDNA sampling of cover object surfaces with paint rollers elevated per sample detection probabilities for this species 4-16 times compared with visual surveys alone. We readily detected S. lateralis eDNA under cover objects up to 2 weeks after the last visual detection, and at some cover objects where no S. lateralis were visually observed in prior months. With sufficient sampling intensity, eDNA testing of soil under cover objects produced comparable per sample detection probabilities as roller surface methods. Our results suggest that combining eDNA and cover object methods can considerably increase the detection power of reptile monitoring programs, allowing more accurate estimates of population size, detection of temporal and spatial changes in habitat use, and tracking success of restoration efforts. Further research into the deposition and decay rates of reptile eDNA under cover objects, as well as tailored protocols for different species and habitats, is needed to bring the technique into widespread use.
由于易受栖息地丧失、新兴疾病和野生贸易捕捞的影响，爬行动物的保护越来越受到关注。然而，由于其生活史中经常出现伪装，爬行动物种群的监测往往较为困难。这种困难使得许多物种的保护状况和保护措施的效果不确定。环境 DNA（eDNA）调查一致提高了它们所设计监测的物种的检测率，虽然它们在陆地爬行动物保护方面的应用很有前景，但开发此类调查的成功案例却很少。我们测试了在传统人工覆盖物方法中纳入表面和土壤 eDNA 采样的程度，以提高小型、隐蔽的陆生蜥蜴 Scincella lateralis 的检测概率。与单独的视觉调查相比，用油漆滚子对覆盖物表面进行 eDNA 采样，使该物种的每个样本的检测概率提高了 4-16 倍。我们可以在最后一次视觉检测后 2 周内，甚至在某些几个月前没有观察到 S. lateralis 的覆盖物下，轻松检测到 S. lateralis 的 eDNA。通过足够的采样强度，对覆盖物下土壤的 eDNA 测试产生了与滚子表面方法相当的每个样本检测概率。我们的研究结果表明，将 eDNA 和覆盖物方法相结合可以大大提高爬行动物监测计划的检测能力，从而更准确地估计种群规模，检测栖息地利用的时空变化，并跟踪恢复工作的成功。需要进一步研究爬行动物 eDNA 在覆盖物下的沉积和降解率，以及针对不同物种和栖息地的定制协议，以使该技术得到广泛应用。
