DNA barcoding of the spring snails (Hydrobioids) from the Kalkalpen National Park
The Kalkalpen National Park in Upper Austria is of high importance concerning nature conservation directives (European nature reserve Natura 2000, recognized wetland of the Ramsar convention). The NP Kalkalpen is inhabited by several endemic species, among these are two spring snails described on the basis of morphological and anatomical characters: Belgrandiella aulaei and Bythiospeum nocki (Haase et al. 2000). Apart from that, the knowledge of the hydrobioid species in the national park is incomplete.
In the current survey, the spring snails of the Kalkalpen National Park are investigated in more detail. From about 38 springs, snails are collected and examined by morphological determination and photographic documentation. Since this group of tiny snails, which displays high variability in shell shape within species, is notoriously hard to determine, morphological determinations will be with DNA barcoding. However, for the rarer species it is very challenging to find living specimen. As part of this project the PCR protocol was optimized and specific primers for the barcoding region were developed. The data will be compared with DNA sequences from the ABOL Mollusca project the BOLD databank. For some species we will establish the first reference DNA barcode.
The investigation of hydrobioid species is all the more important, as they are essential for water quality assessment and several species are threatened (for example by construction works for drinking water production or by grazing cattle). Species identification by DNA barcoding will help to generate thorough knowledge of the species distribution in the NP Kalkalpen, and hence provides the basis for the protection of unique hydrobioid species.

Projektteam
Dr. Luise Kruckenhauser (NHM Vienna)
Mag. Anita Eschner (NHM Vienna)
Hannah Schubert, B.Sc. (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Michael Duda (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Erich Weigand (Kalkalpen National Park)
Project status: completed
Publication:
Schubert, H., Duda, M., Eschner, A., Weigand, E., & Kruckenhauser, L. (2023). DNA barcoding as a tool to monitor the diversity of endangered spring snails in an Austrian National Park. Biodiversity Data Journal, 11, e91496. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e91496 CITE DOWNLOAD



Subscribe to our ABOL news
Latest News
9th ABOL meeting 2022 – a retrospect24. November, 2022 - 13:24
After 2 years of virtual conferences, we were very happy to be able to hold the ABOL annual conference physically again this year. On November 18th the time had come. The 9th ABOL conference took place in the Haus für Natur, Museum Niederösterreich, after the 5th Austrian Biodiversity Forum. As usual, the lecture program was […]
ABOL goes Zambia14. November, 2022 - 23:43
DNA barcoding workshop at the University of Zambia In early October, ABOL held a DNA barcoding workshop at the University of Zambia (UNZA) in Lusaka together with Prof. Cyprian Katongo. The workshop – as part of the OeAD cooperation development research project “DNA barcoding of Zambia’s biodiversity” (led by the University of Graz) – […]
ABOL BioBlitz in the National Park Hohe Tauern3. August, 2022 - 15:02
Once again this year, the Biodiversity Day in the National Park Hohe Tauern was not accompanied by good weather. With gusts of wind, cold, rain and occasional windows of sunshine, dedicated experts collected biodiversity data again last weekend – this year in the Carinthian part of the National Park in the Maltatal. The high altitudes […]