Innovation, institutions, and sustainability: Evaluating drivers of household green technology adoption and environmental sustainability of Africa

Gondwana Research, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 132, P. 88 - 102

Published: April 21, 2024

Language: Английский

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Systematic review of marine environmental DNA metabarcoding studies: toward best practices for data usability and accessibility

PeerJ, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 11, P. e14993 - e14993

Published: March 24, 2023

The emerging field of environmental DNA (eDNA) research lacks universal guidelines for ensuring data produced are FAIR–findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable–despite growing awareness the importance such practices. In order to better understand these usability challenges, we systematically reviewed 60 peer articles conducting a specific subset eDNA research: metabarcoding studies in marine environments. For each article, characterized approximately 90 features across several categories: general article attributes topics, methodological choices, types metadata included, availability storage sequence data. Analyzing characteristics, identified barriers accessibility, including lack common context vocabulary articles, missing metadata, supplementary information limitations, concentration both sample collection analysis United States. While some require significant effort address, also found many instances where small choices made by authors journals could have an outsized influence on discoverability reusability Promisingly, showed consistency creativity as well strong trend toward open access publishing. Our underscores need think critically about accessibility studies, projects more broadly, continue proliferate.

Language: Английский

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Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: What do we know and what should be the focus for future research?

Chemosphere, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 144057 - 144057

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Genomic Tools in Biological Invasions: Current State and Future Frontiers

Genome Biology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 16(1)

Published: Dec. 18, 2023

Human activities are accelerating rates of biological invasions and climate-driven range expansions globally, yet we understand little how genomic processes facilitate the invasion process. Although most literature has focused on underlying phenotypic correlates invasiveness, advances in technologies showing a strong link between variation success. Here, consider ability tools to (i) inform mechanistic understanding (ii) solve real-world issues predicting managing invasions. For both, examine current state field discuss genomics can be leveraged future. In addition, make recommendations pertinent broader research issues, such as data sovereignty, metadata standards, collaboration, science communication best practices that will require concerted efforts from global community.

Language: Английский

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Centering accessibility, increasing capacity, and fostering innovation in the development of international eDNA standards

Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 8

Published: Sept. 24, 2024

Environmental DNA (eDNA) includes a set of rapidly emerging technologies that have the potential to support environmental monitoring and biodiversity conservation through novel, non-invasive, cost-effective democratic methods tools. Meanwhile, eDNA researchers are developing international standards for technologies, data outputs. For be accessible, useful appropriate, we must ensure any developed include broad conception users from around world, diversity ecological contexts locations and, most importantly, realistic outlook on research capacities infrastructure. In this article, assemble perspectives standardisation diverse global group experts Africa, South America Pacific Islands. The authors article collaborated by answering discussing open-ended questions aimed at eliciting hopes, concerns experiences regarding standards. result is emergent themes generative consensus highlight need creation adaptable standards, development regional capacity, increased sensitising sovereignty viewing as capacity-building activity.

Language: Английский

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Conservation tools: the next generation of engineering–biology collaborations

Journal of The Royal Society Interface, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 20(205)

Published: Aug. 1, 2023

The recent increase in public and academic interest preserving biodiversity has led to the growth of field conservation technology. This involves designing constructing tools that use technology aid wildlife. In this review, we present five case studies infer a framework for (CT) based on human–wildlife interaction. Successful CT range complexity from cat collars machine learning game theory methodologies do not require technological expertise contribute tool creation. Our goal is introduce researchers provide references guiding next generation technologists. Conservation only potential benefit but also broader impacts fields such as sustainability environmental protection. By using innovative technologies address challenges, can find more effective efficient solutions protect preserve our planet’s resources.

Language: Английский

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Optimizing waterborne eDNA capture from waterholes in savanna systems under remote field conditions

Molecular Ecology Resources, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 24(4)

Published: Feb. 23, 2024

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) is used for biodiversity assessments in a variety of ecosystems across the globe, whereby different eDNA concentration, preservation and extraction methods can outperform others depending on sampling conditions environment. Tropical subtropical Africa are among less studied systems concerning eDNA‐based monitoring. Waterholes arid parts southern represent important agglomeration points terrestrial mammals, shed into such waterbodies provides powerful source information monitoring mammalian surrounding area. However, applied sampling, filtering freshwater vary greatly, rigorous protocol testing African still lacking. This study represents first attempt to examine variations under remote field using waterborne savanna system. Collected samples were heavily affected by microalgal bacterial growth, impeding capture PCR success. We demonstrate clear effects methodological choices, which also depend state eDNA. A preliminary metabarcoding run showed little taxonomic overlap mammal species detection between two primers tested. recommend water (using filters with pore sizes >1 μm) over centrifugation Longmire's solution ambient temperature sample Qiagen's DNeasy PowerSoil Pro Kit these inhibitor‐prone samples. Furthermore, at least independent markers should be utilized order maximize detections studies.

Language: Английский

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eDNA-based seasonal monitoring reveals fish diversity patterns in mangrove habitats of Guinea-Bissau

Regional Studies in Marine Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 104013 - 104013

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Aquatic eDNA outperforms sedimentary eDNA for the detection of estuarine fish communities in subtropical coastal vegetated ecosystems

Journal of Fish Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 14, 2025

Abstract In South Africa, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows often co‐occur in estuarine systems combination host rich, endemic biodiversity. There is an urgent need to explore community diversity coastal vegetated ecosystems, given the degrading effects of climate change anthropogenic pressures. Environmental DNA metabarcoding a promising biomonitoring tool African although studies highlight optimise standardise sampling protocols. This study aimed contribute developing protocols by understanding applicability environmental (eDNA) within habitats investigating using two different sample types. Aquatic sedimentary samples from three estuaries along east coast with MiFish metabarcoding, detected 148 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) representing 67 fish genera 50 families, only 16% were resolved species. We observed that aquatic eDNA 97% total diversity, suggesting this efficient comprehensively detect ichthyofaunal diversity. did not communities between mangroves seagrasses our findings underscore importance taking hydrological connectivity into consideration for design. Overall, work reinforces key considerations future focused on fauna estuaries, therefore contributes optimising support

Language: Английский

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Detecting kelp-forest associated metazoan biodiversity with eDNA metabarcoding

npj Biodiversity, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 3(1)

Published: Feb. 21, 2024

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a promising tool for monitoring marine biodiversity, but remains underutilised in Africa. In this study, we evaluated the ability of aquatic eDNA as detecting biodiversity associated with South African kelp forest, an ecosystem that harbours high diversity species, many which are endemic, also sensitive to changing environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressures. Using fine-scale spatial (1 m 8 m) temporal (every four hours 24 h) sampling targeting two gene regions (mtDNA COI 12S rRNA), detected 880 OTUs representing 75 families broader metazoan community 44 fish families. We show extensive variability signal across space time did not recover significant spatio-temporal structure OTU richness assemblages. Metabarcoding broad range taxonomic groups, including arthropods, ascidians, cnidarians, echinoderms, ctenophores, molluscs, polychaetes, ichthyofauna sponges, well Placozoa, previously reported from Fewer than 3% could be identified species level using available databases (COI = 19 OTUs, 11 OTUs). Our study emphasizes kelp-forest Africa understudied, careful consideration design combination increased barcoding efforts construction regional databases, will become powerful biomonitoring biodiversity.

Language: Английский

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