New insights on lake sediment DNA from the catchment: importance of taphonomic and analytical issues on the record quality

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Title: New insights on lake sediment DNA from the catchment: importance of taphonomic and analytical issues on the record quality
Authors: Giguet-covex, Charline, Ficetola, Gentile Francesco, Walsh, Kevin James, Poulenard, Jérôme, Bajard, Manon, Fouinat, Laurent, Sabatier, Pierre, Gielly, Ludovic, Messager, Erwan, Develle, Anne-Lise, David, Fernand, Taberlet, Pierre, Brisset, Elodie, Guiter, Frédéric, Sinet, Rémi, Arnaud, Fabien
Publication Year: 2019
Collection: White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York)
Description: Over the last decade, an increasing number of studies have used lake sediment DNA to trace past landscape changes, agricultural activities or human presence. However, the processes responsible for lake sediment formation might affect DNA records via taphonomic and analytical processes. It is crucial to understand these processes to ensure reliable interpretations for “palaeo” studies. Here, we combined plant and mammal DNA metabarcoding analyses with sedimentological and geochemical analyses from three lake-catchment systems that are characterised by different erosion dynamics. The new insights derived from this approach elucidate and assess issues relating to DNA sources and transfer processes. The sources of eroded materials strongly affect the “catchment-DNA” concentration in the sediments. For instance, erosion of upper organic and organo-mineral soil horizons provides a higher amount of plant DNA in lake sediments than deep horizons, bare soils or glacial flours. Moreover, high erosion rates, along with a well-developed hydrographic network, are proposed as factors positively affecting the representation of the catchment flora. The development of open and agricultural landscapes, which favour the erosion, could thus bias the reconstructed landscape trajectory but help the record of these human activities. Regarding domestic animals, pastoral practices and animal behaviour might affect their DNA record because they control the type of source of DNA (“point” vs. “diffuse”).
Document Type: article in journal/newspaper
File Description: text
Language: English
Relation: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/152117/1/Giguet_Covex_et_al._2019_New_insights_on_lake_sediment_DNA_from_the_catchment_importance_of_taphonomic_and_analytical_issues_on_the.pdf; Giguet-covex, Charline orcid.org/0000-0002-5141-4815 , Ficetola, Gentile Francesco, Walsh, Kevin James orcid.org/0000-0003-1621-2625 et al. (13 more authors) (2019) New insights on lake sediment DNA from the catchment: importance of taphonomic and analytical issues on the record quality. Scientific Reports. pp. 1-22. ISSN: 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50339-1
Availability: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/152117/
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/152117/1/Giguet_Covex_et_al._2019_New_insights_on_lake_sediment_DNA_from_the_catchment_importance_of_taphonomic_and_analytical_issues_on_the.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-50339-1
Rights: cc_by
Accession Number: edsbas.C0361BC2
Database: BASE
Description
Abstract:Over the last decade, an increasing number of studies have used lake sediment DNA to trace past landscape changes, agricultural activities or human presence. However, the processes responsible for lake sediment formation might affect DNA records via taphonomic and analytical processes. It is crucial to understand these processes to ensure reliable interpretations for “palaeo” studies. Here, we combined plant and mammal DNA metabarcoding analyses with sedimentological and geochemical analyses from three lake-catchment systems that are characterised by different erosion dynamics. The new insights derived from this approach elucidate and assess issues relating to DNA sources and transfer processes. The sources of eroded materials strongly affect the “catchment-DNA” concentration in the sediments. For instance, erosion of upper organic and organo-mineral soil horizons provides a higher amount of plant DNA in lake sediments than deep horizons, bare soils or glacial flours. Moreover, high erosion rates, along with a well-developed hydrographic network, are proposed as factors positively affecting the representation of the catchment flora. The development of open and agricultural landscapes, which favour the erosion, could thus bias the reconstructed landscape trajectory but help the record of these human activities. Regarding domestic animals, pastoral practices and animal behaviour might affect their DNA record because they control the type of source of DNA (“point” vs. “diffuse”).
DOI:10.1038/s41598-019-50339-1