Plant DNA metabarcoding of lake sediments: how does it represent the contemporary vegetation

Metabarcoding of lake sediments have been shown to reveal current and past biodiversity, but little is known about the degree to which taxa growing in the vegetation are represented in environmental DNA (eDNA) records. We analysed composition of lake and catchment vegetation and vascular plant eDNA at 11 lakes in northern Norway. Out of 489 records of taxa growing within 2 m from the lake shore, 17-49% (mean 31%) of the identifiable taxa recorded were detected with eDNA. Of the 217 eDNA records of 47 plant taxa in the 11 lakes, 73% and 12% matched taxa recorded in vegetation surveys within 2 m and up to about 50 m away from the lakeshore, respectively, whereas 16% were not recorded in the vegetation surveys of the same lake. The latter include taxa likely overlooked in the vegetation surveys or growing outside the survey area. The percentages detected were 61, 47, 25, and 15 for dominant, common, scattered, and rare taxa, respectively. Similar numbers for aquatic plants were 88, 88, 33 ...

宏条形码技术（Metabarcoding）应用于湖泊沉积物已被证实可揭示现生及历史生物多样性，但对于植被中生长的类群在环境DNA（eDNA）记录中的代表性程度，人们知之甚少。本研究分析了挪威北部11个湖泊的湖泊及集水区植被组成，以及维管植物eDNA。在湖岸2米范围内生长的489个类群记录中，可识别类群的17-49%（平均31%）能通过eDNA检测到。在11个湖泊中47种植物种群的217条eDNA记录中，分别有73%和12%与湖岸2米范围内及最远约50米处植被调查记录的类群匹配，而16%未在同一湖泊的植被调查中被记录。后者包括可能在植被调查中被遗漏或生长在调查区域外的类群。对于优势类群、常见类群、散生类群和稀有类群，检测到的比例分别为61%、47%、25%和15%；水生植物的类似比例分别为88%、88%、33%……