AIM Insect Monitoring
Monitoring Project in Munich and Leipzig
The threat to the natural diversity of our planet is omnipresent - even on our doorstep. Species are disappearing and valuable habitats are being destroyed. The loss of biodiversity is both a global and a regional issue. That's why we wanted to take a look right on our doorstep.
Results Insect Monitoring 2018 - Munich
We collected data on flying insects for one season on the grounds of the Zoological State Collection in Munich. The aim of the project was to raise public awareness and make a small contribution to the monitoring of native insects. Because we can only protect what we know! In view of the alarming results of the study by Hallmann et al. in 2018, which found that over 75% of the biomass of flying insects had declined in nature reserves within 27 years, we set up our malaise trap on a meadow in front of the Zoological State Collection in Munich in May 2018 for initial monitoring. With a total of 1,619 BINs detected, 1,094 species could be assigned.
The results of our monitoring from May to October in Munich show that certain species are present all year round, while others only appear from June onwards. In our species list, many non-native species (neozoa) and invasive species can be identified, which can partially displace or harm native species. With metabarcoding, for example, we can carry out efficient pest monitoring throughout the year. Based on this data, we can quickly record the interaction of species and their occurrence and provide meaningful information on population development after renaturation measures or changes in the environment.
2018 – May
In May 2018, 376 different species with 486 unique Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) were identified in Munich. Mainly insects were recorded, including arachnids, millipedes, springtails and isopods. The diversity was impressive: flies, wasps, bees, butterflies, beetles and beaked conches were abundant. We could even detect two dust louse species and two cockroach species.
2018 - June
Compared to May, almost 100 fewer species were found in June. The graphs clearly show that only a few species occurred in both months. Insect species have specific flight and activity periods. This may be due to the flowering period of their main food plants or the presence of certain host animals. This shows: DNA metabarcoding can be used to quickly and precisely record the interplay of species and their distribution.
2018 - July
The results for July reveal that many families and their associated species were already present in June. Ebeso there are species that were only identified in one of the two months. In direct comparison, July is the more species-rich month. Alluvial diagrams are flow charts that were originally developed to show changes in network structures over time. In an alluvial diagram, blocks represent clusters and the flows between the blocks represent changes in the composition of these clusters over time. The height of a block represents the size of the cluster and the height of a flow represents the size of the components contained in both blocks connected by the flow. Zero (0) blocks in the respective month mean that this order/family/species did not occur in that month. The flow to the other month shows that this order/family/species occurred there.
Resluts Insect Monitoring 2019 - Leipzig
The advantage of DNA metabarcoding is the efficient and cost-effective ecological assessment of diverse questions. Thanks to this method, animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms can be analysed in large sample quantities and compared with reference libraries. In 2019, we had set up a malaise trap at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Bad Lauchstädt near Leipzig. Over a period from April to September, samples were taken weekly from the trap and analysed with our DNA Metabarcoding Pipeline.
The analysis was carried out by combining sequences into BINs and comparing them with databases to determine matches. Species with a match of over 97% were identified, while matches over 95% were determined at the genus level. This allowed us to create a data series with over a thousand species over the entire period. This information can drive habitat protection, identify pest infestations and detect the immigration of potentially harmful species into agricultural and forest areas at an early stage. Our data show that ecological questions can be assessed efficiently, automatically and cost-effectively using DNA metabarcoding.
Results of the Biodiversity Monitoring 2018/2019
Our network-based analysis shows the distribution of taxa at different sites and time points. Through the analysis, similarities and differences between samples can be visualised.
(The coloured nodes represent samples from Munich (blue) and Leipzig (purple), while the grey dots represent different species/taxa).
The generated network is based on a likelihood ratio test and shows connections between samples and species. The size of the nodes reflects the number of sequences in each sample, while the thickness of the edges represents the number of connections to each sample. Coloured connections show species found in both cities, while grey connections indicate that species were found in only one of the locations. The analysis revealed 6503 connections and 2103 nodes, including 20 Leipzig, 21 Munich and 2062 taxa. Clear differences in species composition between cities can be seen, and the distance between sites is often greater than that between sampling dates of the same colour. In addition, seasonal trends and changes in species composition can be read.
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