eDNA Analysis of Vertebrate Metacommunities in Riverine Floodplains (RIMECO)
In traditional ecology, community composition and species diversity are explained primarily by environmental factors, such as light, water availability, or competition. Metacommunity ecology adds exchange between different local communities as another important factor influencing species diversity and composition. The project “eDNA analysis of vertebrate metacommunities in river floodplains” adds another important component: time. Since in riverine floodplains, the environmental factors in water bodies and the exchange between local communities regularly change over time, as both are highly dependent on the water level. Additionally, they are among the most diverse habitats in the world. Therefore, they are a perfect model system to investigate complex interrelationships correlated to time.
The project, which started in January 2021, is conducted in the floodplains along the Danube in Hungary and Austria and investigates the variability of distribution and connectivity of fish and amphibian populations. To study vertebrate floodplain communities environmental DNA will be used, an innovative method that allows detecting the entire community in water samples, including rare or hidden species that are difficult to survey using traditional methods. To increase the probability of detection, established eDNA methods will be adapted for the use in floodplaines.
The project will lead to a better understanding of the spatial and temporal composition of communities in dynamic riverine landscapes. As the investigated communities include a high number of endangered species, the results will also provide an important basis for the protection and conservation of biodiversity and will directly support the management of protected areas along the Danube.
The project is funded by the FWF (Austria) and the NKFIH (Hungary).
![](https://www.abol.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/team.jpg)
Project team
Thomas Hein
Didier Pont
Andrea Funk
Paul Meulenbroek
(Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna)
Lukas Landler
(Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna)
Tibor Erős
Andrew Hamer
(Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary)
Project status: active
Subscribe to our ABOL news
Latest News
M. SonnleitnerGEO Day of Biodiversity in South Carinthia17. July, 2024 - 15:04
On the first weekend in July, the ABOL-BioBlitz was a guest at the GEO Day of Biodiversity in the Geopark Karawanken, this year for the first time in southern Carinthia. After the welcome and introductory words in Bleiburg, the Globasnitzbachtal was investigated in the afternoon and evening of the first day. There was something for […]
N. Fial10 years ÖEG insect camp17. July, 2024 - 11:09
Parallel to the Day of Biodiversity in the Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald, ABOL was represented for the third time at the ÖEG insect camp from June 6th to 9th. Like ABOL, the insect camp also celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and this year it took place in the Karwendel Nature Reserve in Tyrol. On this […]
M. SonnleitnerThe first ABOL BioBlitzes 202416. July, 2024 - 16:32
Thanks to the Biodiversity Fund projects ABOL-RefDat and GeMonA+, our ABOL team at the Natural History Museum Vienna grew at the beginning of 2024 and the first BioBlitzes were a good opportunity to support data collection and networking in the biodiversity community. This year’s Day of Biodiversity of the Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald took place in […]