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ABOL in action - from database and application to publication
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We are pleased to present two recently completed Biodiversity Fund projects and latest publications!
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Knowing species is the most important step toward protecting them!
The ability to identify species is rapidly declining and is becoming a bottleneck as demands for biodiversity monitoring increase. To counter this trend, the ABOL-RefDat project was launched in 2024. It contributes to the genetic cataloging of animals, plants, and fungi found in Austria and links existing taxonomic knowledge with DNA barcodes. This is intended to facilitate species identification in the future and make it scalable and more efficient, regardless of existing taxonomic knowledge.
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ABOL-RefDat began with the goal of generating 5,000 DNA barcodes from 1,500 species - a target that was significantly exceeded in just less than 1.5 years:
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ABOL has enriched the data set for Austria with 5,724 new DNA barcodes from 2,773 species!
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In the process, 500 DNA barcodes were generated for animal groups for which methodological protocols first had to be developed or which were considered “difficult.”
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The project’s success demonstrates that, with sufficient funding and a functioning network of biodiversity experts, a major contribution to biodiversity mapping can be made within a short period of time.
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The data is freely available on the international BOLD platform. A well-stocked and curated reference database is essential for genetically based monitoring, the identification of life stages that cannot be determined morphologically, and the efficient genetic identification of species!
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The ABOL team would like to thank all partners and contributors for their excellent and successful collaboration!
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The reference database is used in the following project
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Biodiversity monitoring is becoming increasingly important and extensive!
Traditional monitoring is usually very resource- and time-intensive. To address this, GeMonA+ developed modules for scalable and efficient biodiversity monitoring of plants, fungi, and insects.
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As a consortium project, collaboration was a top priority in GeMonA+. The following institutions were involved in the project:
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- Universities Graz (Lead), Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and BOKU University
- Natural History Museum Vienna (ABOL)
- Gesäuse, Neusiedlersee, Kalkalpen, and Hohe Tauern National Parks
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As part of the project, seven sites were sampled and a methodological comparison was conducted. Specifically, the biodiversity assessment methods included metabarcoding of insects from Malaise traps, identification of flower visitors through eDNA washing of flowering plants, and sweep net catching of arthropods.
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While the different methods showed overlaps in the species detected, each method identified additional species. Malaise traps yielded the highest number of species, which can be attributed to a longer sampling period. The results clearly demonstrate gaps in the reference data; e.g. 28% of the species identified in the net samples and 30% in the eDNA samples could not be assigned due to missing reference data.
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The influence of the processing laboratories on the results was subsequently compared. Furthermore, an optimized metabarcoding analysis pipeline was implemented, and the protocol for sample processing and sequencing was optimized.
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Following the successful completion of the project, several publications are planned!
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You can find two interesting, recently published articles that ABOL contributed to in the
next section.
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1. Best practices for establishing and implementing national barcoding initiatives
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Kaitetzidou et al. summarize experiences from 20 countries regarding strategies for capacity building, methodological standardization, stakeholder engagement, diversification of funding, and strengthening communication.
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- the establishment of comprehensive DNA barcoding reference libraries,
- aligning activities with the needs of biomonitoring, and
- promoting the FAIR and CARE data principles.
The authors conclude with 10 practical recommendations on how to establish national DNA barcoding nodes for the iBOL-Europe community and ensure their long-term success!
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2. Mission and Strategic Priorities of iBOL Europe
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Hollingsworth et al. outline the mission and strategic priorities of the barcoding community in Europe (iBOL Europe) within a global context. The mission of iBOL Europe is to create, maintain, and make a comprehensive DNA barcoding reference library of European eukaryotic biodiversity accessible. Furthermore, they aim to catalyze the discovery of species, enable comprehensive and harmonized species identification and biomonitoring, and support the global iBOL program.
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The immediate goals are defined as
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- the development of a reference database for priority taxa,
- the democratization of access to sequencing technologies, and
- the strengthening of a community spread across Europe.
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Both studies underscore that building a comprehensive reference library of European biota is a race against time. Highly diverse regions such as Southern and Southeastern Europe are particularly threatened by urbanization and climate change. However, these centers of endemic biodiversity of global significance do not yet have comprehensive DNA barcode coverage.
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