Application of eDNA Metabarcoding for Detecting Anura in North China

eDNA metabarcoding is an advanced method for monitoring biodiversity proposed in recent years. By analyzing DNA in water, soil and sediment samples, the technology obtains species distribution and population quantity information. It was found that macrobarcode technology is more accurate than the traditional method in measuring the species richness of some groups. In Europe, America and South America, the reliability of this technology in monitoring amphibian diversity in the wild was studied, and it was found to be better than traditional biodiversity monitoring methods in detecting species diversity. At present, amphibian monitoring mainly depends on various traditional methods, such as transects, drift fence traps, artificial shelters and mark-recapture. These monitoring techniques have many shortcomings, such as low accuracy and strong subjectivity of study results. These technologies have poor effects on rare, invasive and endangered species with strong concealment ability, low density and strong seasonality and are difficult to implement in sites inaccessible to people. Traditional monitoring technology also requires considerable investment of human and material resources, and the economic cost is relatively high, while eDNA metabarcoding ismore efficient and less costly, so it is important to use eDNA metabarcoding in amphibian monitoring in China. In this study, the eDNA metabarcoding and traditional line transect method (TLTM) were used to study the characteristics of the two methods in the BeijingTianjin-Hebei region. Repea ted sampling was conducted on 58 waterbodies in July 2019 and June 2020. After sequencing the samples using highthroughput sequencing technology, the differences between metabarcoding and commonly used TLTM surveys in detecting the diversity of four amphibians in North China were assessed. Our results showed that eDNA metabarcoding is more sensitive to the detection of the four amphibian species in the sampling area, and the combined use of eDNA metabarcoding and TLTM can improve the survey results of amphibians in the survey area to the greatest extent. In addition, in the process of species classification and identification of metabarcoding results, 7 species of reptiles were detected, indicating that eDNA metabarcoding is also useful to detect reptiles. The results of this study indicate that metabarcoding in combination with TLTM can accurately estimate the diversity of amphibians in a short-term survey in North China and is also useful in reptile species detection.