A Critical Assessment of the Congruency between Environmental DNA and Palaeoecology for the Biodiversity Monitoring and Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction

Shahnawaz Hassan, Zulaykha Khurshid, Sabreena, Bikram Singh Bali, Bashir Ah Ganai, R. Z. Sayyed, Peter Poczai and Muzafar Zaman
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Shahnawaz Hassan: Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
Zulaykha Khurshid: Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
Sabreena: Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
Bikram Singh Bali: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
Bashir Ah Ganai: Centre of Research for Development, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
R. Z. Sayyed: Department of Microbiology, PSGVP Mandal, s, SI Patil Arts, G B Patel Science and STKV Sangh Commerce College, Shahada 425409, India
Peter Poczai: Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
Muzafar Zaman: Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-25

Abstract: The present study suggests that standardized methodology, careful site selection, and stratigraphy are essential for investigating ancient ecosystems in order to evaluate biodiversity and DNA-based time series. Based on specific keywords, this investigation reviewed 146 publications using the SCOPUS, Web of Science (WoS), PUBMED, and Google Scholar databases. Results indicate that environmental deoxyribose nucleic acid (eDNA) can be pivotal for assessing and conserving ecosystems. Our review revealed that in the last 12 years (January 2008–July 2021), 63% of the studies based on eDNA have been reported from aquatic ecosystems, 25% from marine habitats, and 12% from terrestrial environments. Out of studies conducted in aquatic systems using the environmental DNA (eDNA) technique, 63% of the investigations have been reported from freshwater ecosystems, with an utmost focus on fish diversity (40%). Further analysis of the literature reveals that during the same period, 24% of the investigations using the environmental DNA technique were carried out on invertebrates, 8% on mammals, 7% on plants, 6% on reptiles, and 5% on birds. The results obtained clearly indicate that the environmental DNA technique has a clear-cut edge over other biodiversity monitoring methods. Furthermore, we also found that eDNA, in conjunction with different dating techniques, can provide better insight into deciphering eco-evolutionary feedback. Therefore, an attempt has been made to offer extensive information on the application of dating methods for different taxa present in diverse ecosystems. Last, we provide suggestions and elucidations on how to overcome the caveats and delineate some of the research avenues that will likely shape this field in the near future. This paper aims to identify the gaps in environmental DNA (eDNA) investigations to help researchers, ecologists, and decision-makers to develop a holistic understanding of environmental DNA (eDNA) and its utility as a palaeoenvironmental contrivance.

Keywords: environmental DNA; biodiversity monitoring; sampling design; biodiversity conservation; palaeoenvironmental reconstruction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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