Estimating biodiversity across the tree of life on Mount Everest’s southern flank with environmental DNA

Lim, Marisa C.W.; Seimon, Anton; Nightingale, Batya; Xu, Charles C.Y.; Halloy, Stephan R.P.; Solon, Adam J.; Dragone, Nicholas B.; Schmidt, Steven K.; Tait, Alex; Elvin, Sandra; Elmore, Aurora C.; Seimon, Tracie A.

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2022.104848

i

Estimating biodiversity across the tree of life on Mount Everest’s southern flank with environmental DNA

2022
By Lim, Marisa C.W. ; Seimon, Anton ; Nightingale, Batya ; ...

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Journal Title:

iScience
Personal Author:

Lim, Marisa C.W. ; Seimon, Anton ; Nightingale, Batya ; Xu, Charles C.Y. ; Halloy, Stephan R.P. ; Solon, Adam J. ; Dragone, Nicholas B. ; Schmidt, Steven K. ; Tait, Alex ; Elvin, Sandra ; Elmore, Aurora C. ; Seimon, Tracie A.
NOAA Program & Office:

NOAA General Documents
Description:

Species composition in high-alpine ecosystems is a useful indicator for monitoring climatic and environmental changes at the upper limits of habitable environments. We used environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis to document the breadth of high-alpine biodiversity present on Earth's highest mountain, Mt. Everest (8,849 m a.s.l.) in Nepal's Khumbu region. In April-May 2019, we collected eDNA from ten ponds and streams between 4,500 m and 5,500 m. Using multiple sequencing and bioinformatic approaches, we identified taxa from 36 phyla and 187 potential orders across the Tree of Life in Mt. Everest's high-alpine and aeolian ecosystem. These organisms, all recorded above 4,500 m-an elevational belt comprising <3% of Earth's land surface-represents ∼16% of global taxonomic order estimates. Our eDNA inventory will aid future high-Himalayan biomonitoring and retrospective molecular studies to assess changes over time as climate-driven warming, glacial melt, and anthropogenic influences reshape this rapidly transforming world-renowned ecosystem.
Keywords:

Multidisciplinary
Source:

iScience, 25(9), 104848
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.104848
ISSN:

2589-0042
Format:

PDF
Publisher:

Elsevier BV
Document Type:

Journal Article
License:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Rights Information:

CC BY-NC-ND
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Library
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:686ee0a2f68e8dbdc059808475b6a75c04b8f0239a62f18802be4ba8d2dc6c7b7ad9fca644ceba7260551b5a89b316c768f727d2956f29f924e30ab32ecd76ad
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https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/63871/noaa_63871_DS1.pdf
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[PDF - 4.86 MB ]

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