RISK MAP

PCA of climate

Human footprint

Sampling planned for 2017

Designing optimized biotic indices using eDNA metabarcoding in a riverscape under multiple stressors

Sponsored/Funded by: Institutions involved:

Biodiversity

ChairFundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaMINISTÉRIO DA CIÊNCIA, TECNOLOGIA E ENSINO SUPERIOR

Companies involved:

WO

RK

FLO

W

FIVE quality classes (QCs) defined by the WFD based on ecological

quality ratio (EQR), for Europe’s aquatic ecosystems.

EQRs are defined for each region and ecosystem type on the basis of

the least impacted localities in the area. High-quality sites are those for

which EQR ≈ 1 (similar to reference conditions).

According to the WFD, ecological status the sites in QCs III–V need

to be brought up to acceptable ecological status through

managing and/or restoring (adapted from EC, 2000).

WATER ECOLOGICAL STATUS

CONCEPTUAL SCHEME

I- high

II- good

IV- bad

III- moderate

V- poor

meets

WFD goals

does not meet

WFD goals

EQR

1

0

QUALITY CLASSES

Optimized biotic indexes

Abiotic factors

• Human footprint, distance to

dams, distance to urban areas,

distance to roads,…

• Assembly

• Indicator taxa (e.g. EPTOs,)

Benthic

macroinvertebrates

Probability Map Identifies the assemblage community

occurring along the human stressor

gradient (also defines reference condition)

Optimized

monitoring

program

• Climate (temperature,

precipitation,…)

• River habitat

Sp

ati

al

Mo

dell

ing

metabarcoding protocolsOptimization of metabarcoding

surveys and protocols

Human stressors

A.F. FilipeA,B, F.M.S. MartinsA, M.F. MagalhãesC, V. HermosoD,E, M.T. MonaghanF, J. PaupérioA, S. FerreiraA, J. VeríssimoA, P.C. AlvesA, S. JarmanA, P. BejaA,B

A CIBIO/InBio (Vairão, Portugal), B CEABN/InBIO (Lisboa, Portugal), C Ce3C (Lisboa, Portugal), D CTFC (Solsona. Lleida, Spain), E Australian Rivers Institute and Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (Queensland, Australia), F IGB (Berlin, Germany)

Our project aims to develop efficient and

reliable regional monitoring programs for

early detection of invasive aquatic species

and water quality

Develop metabarcoding indexes to assess the

ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF FRESHWATERS UNDER THE 2ND

CASE STUDY

DOURO BASIN

Climate

Human footprint

Benthic

macroinvertebrates

Optimization of eDNA metabarcoding surveys

& protocolsPROBABILITY MAP

1

6

5

3

2

4

Douro Basin covers mediterranean-type (1-3) and temperate-type

streams with high biodiversity.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates in Douro inhabit a vast array of

environmental conditions, including seasonal intermittency (1-2), cool

fast flowing waters (4), canyons (5), and the large river Douro (6).

The human pressure is present from pristine to highly impacted areas,

mainly due to pasture, intense agriculture and reservoirs.

Elevation range in Douro river

Testing group-specific primers (in silico)

Build a DNA reference database

Validation of primers (in vitro)

Validation of the eDNA metabarcoding

method (in situ)

Occupancy models (detection probability)

KICK SAMPLING & BULK ANALYSIS

FIELD SAMPLING BARCODING

ONGOING WORK