Using Metabarcoding Techniques to Map Multiple Dung Beetle-Vertebrate iDNA Networks in a Southeast Asian Forest.

Area of Science:

• Tropical ecology
• Molecular ecology
• Conservation biology

Background:

• Tropical regions face high biodiversity and anthropogenic impacts, necessitating studies on species interactions and ecological networks.
• Molecular methods, like DNA metabarcoding, are increasingly vital for biodiversity monitoring and identifying species interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a DNA metabarcoding protocol for constructing quantitative dung beetle-vertebrate trophic networks in tropical forests.
• To assess the detectability of vertebrate DNA in dung beetles over time.
• To build and analyze dung beetle-vertebrate interaction networks across multiple forest sites.

Main Methods:

• Optimized DNA metabarcoding protocol for vertebrate DNA detection in dung beetle gut contents.
• Collected dung beetle samples from 50 heterogeneous tropical forest sites.
• Utilized group-specific primers to identify interacting vertebrate taxa.

Main Results:

• Vertebrate DNA was detectable in most beetles up to 24 hours post-feeding, with 50% detection in visually empty guts.
• Constructed dung beetle-vertebrate networks revealed high trophic generalism and nestedness.
• Documented interactions with diverse vertebrates, including amphibians, birds, and rare mammals like the Sunda slow loris and Sunda pangolin.

Conclusions:

• The optimized DNA metabarcoding protocol provides a robust method for constructing quantitative ecological networks.
• This technique enhances biodiversity assessments and ecological network studies in hyper-diverse tropical ecosystems.
• The findings underscore the importance of molecular tools for understanding complex species interactions in rapidly changing tropical environments.