Biodiversity baselines: Tracking insects in Kruger National Park with DNA barcodes
The analysis of 367,743 insect specimens collected at 25 sites in Kruger National Park (KNP) in South Africa revealed 19,730 species. Species assemblages were differentiated between ecoregions and were structured most strongly by variation in rainfall. By providing comprehensive, spatially and seasonally explicit data on insect biodiversity in KNP, this study has delivered the baseline data needed to assess future change. The next steps involve extending the analysis to other national parks in South Africa, and ultimately, to the world's 4000 national parks. The aim is to obtain the baseline data to assess insect communities and pave the way for the global biomonitoring systems to aid scientists and citizens in forecasting changes in biodiversity.
LINK to scientific paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Video produced by: Dr. Michelle Lynn D'Souza, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics and Project Manager, Kruger Malaise Program.
23 мар 2021
