eDNA-based monitoring of parasitic plant (Sapria himalayana)

Abstract

© 2019, The Author(s). Sapria himalayana Griffith., is a root parasitic plant that is exceptionally beautiful and odd-looking and found in Southeast Asia. Now these plants are at risk of extinction as they face a large number of different threats. Appropriate measures and conservation plans are needed and one crucial key for successful conservation is species monitoring. The flower is the only part of S. himalayana that is visible during a short period of time of the year. Thus, conducting a visual survey in the field at the other times of the year would be difficult. DNA from living organisms could be found accumulating in environment and so-called environmental DNA (eDNA). Here, an eDNA-based method was developed to specifically monitor S. himalayana in nature. Detecting the specifically generated amplicons allowed us to monitor the presence of S. himalayana at any time of the year. This developed method would increase the conservation success of the S. himalayana.