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<p>Airborne environmental DNA (eDNAir) metabarcoding has recently emerged as a promising approach for monitoring terrestrial plant communities from atmospheric samples. However, its application remains limited, and key methodological uncertainties still constrain its ecological interpretation. In this study, eDNAir metabarcoding was applied for the first time in Türkiye to assess terrestrial plant diversity. We employed a multilocus framework using the chloroplast trnL (P6-loop) and nuclear ITS2 markers. Taxonomic assignment of ITS2 sequences was performed using three reference databases: NCBI, ITS2, and a locally generated Sanger reference library, whereas trnL sequences were assigned using the NCBI database only. This design allowed us to evaluate how marker choice and reference database completeness influence taxonomic resolution diversity estimates, and the interpretation of plant community composition. The multilocus approach revealed that marker and database selection strongly shape detected diversity patterns. Our results reveal a temporally structured airborne plant community in Central Anatolia, dominated by major flowering plant families including <i>Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae</i>, and <i>Salicaceae,</i> reflecting seasonal vegetation dynamics and flowering phenology. The trnL (P6-loop) marker effectively captured broad community composition and significant temporal differentiation among sampling months (PERMANOVA R² = 0.52, <i>p</i> = 0.008), highlighting its suitability for ecosystem-level monitoring. In contrast, ITS2 combined with a locally curated Sanger reference database improved taxonomic resolution, particularly within species-rich groups such as <i>Asteraceae</i>, enabling finer-scale ecological interpretation. Overall, our results suggest that eDNAir metabarcoding can be a promising, non-invasive complement to traditional plant monitoring, provided that marker selection, reference-database curation and spatial replication are carefully considered. Integrating multilocus strategies with curated regional reference databases improves taxonomic resolution and supports more reliable interpretation of plant community patterns, offering a methodological framework for future eDNAir studies in Türkiye and comparable temperate regions.</p>

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Airborne environmental DNA (eDNAir) provides a rapid assessment of terrestrial plant biodiversity in Central Anatolia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月1日

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  • Pelin Taş,
  • Sedat Sevin,
  • Emre Keskin

摘要

Airborne environmental DNA (eDNAir) metabarcoding has recently emerged as a promising approach for monitoring terrestrial plant communities from atmospheric samples. However, its application remains limited, and key methodological uncertainties still constrain its ecological interpretation. In this study, eDNAir metabarcoding was applied for the first time in Türkiye to assess terrestrial plant diversity. We employed a multilocus framework using the chloroplast trnL (P6-loop) and nuclear ITS2 markers. Taxonomic assignment of ITS2 sequences was performed using three reference databases: NCBI, ITS2, and a locally generated Sanger reference library, whereas trnL sequences were assigned using the NCBI database only. This design allowed us to evaluate how marker choice and reference database completeness influence taxonomic resolution diversity estimates, and the interpretation of plant community composition. The multilocus approach revealed that marker and database selection strongly shape detected diversity patterns. Our results reveal a temporally structured airborne plant community in Central Anatolia, dominated by major flowering plant families including Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, and Salicaceae, reflecting seasonal vegetation dynamics and flowering phenology. The trnL (P6-loop) marker effectively captured broad community composition and significant temporal differentiation among sampling months (PERMANOVA R² = 0.52, p = 0.008), highlighting its suitability for ecosystem-level monitoring. In contrast, ITS2 combined with a locally curated Sanger reference database improved taxonomic resolution, particularly within species-rich groups such as Asteraceae, enabling finer-scale ecological interpretation. Overall, our results suggest that eDNAir metabarcoding can be a promising, non-invasive complement to traditional plant monitoring, provided that marker selection, reference-database curation and spatial replication are carefully considered. Integrating multilocus strategies with curated regional reference databases improves taxonomic resolution and supports more reliable interpretation of plant community patterns, offering a methodological framework for future eDNAir studies in Türkiye and comparable temperate regions.