eDNA metabarcoding reveals invertebrate diversity in the blackwater pools of southeast Queensland peatlands

Grace Smith; Tomer Ventura; Catherine Yule

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9238693/v1

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eDNA metabarcoding reveals invertebrate diversity in the blackwater pools of southeast Queensland peatlands

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eDNA metabarcoding reveals invertebrate diversity in the blackwater pools of southeast Queensland peatlands

Grace Smith, Tomer Ventura and Catherine Yule

Research Square, Vol.1 April 2026

Research Square Company

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9238693/v1

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Abstract

Despite harbouring a disproportionate diversity of rare and endemic species, the pyrophilic peatlands of southeast Queensland remain poorly characterized, particularly regarding their invertebrate communities. In the physiochemically extreme blackwater pools, microscopic invertebrate assemblages likely form critical trophic links but have never been described due to their low public prole, small size and cryptic nature. This study used 18S environmental DNA metabarcoding to characterize invertebrate communities across three peatland sites, revealing signicantly greater taxonomic breadth than conventional surveys. 63 taxa across 10 phyla were detected, including ve microscopic phyla previously unrecorded in these ecosystems (Cnidaria, Rotifera, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda and Gastrotricha). Metabarcoding exceeded the resolution achieved by eld surveys for morphologically cryptic microcrustaceans, however eld surveys achieved better resolution for hexapods, demonstrating that the methods target complementary niches, each focused at distinct components of the invertebrate community. The documented microfauna overlap in key life-history traits, including rapid maturation, parthenogenetic reproduction, and dormancy capabilities, occupying the crucial intermediary trophic link between microbial production and higher consumers. These traits likely enable rapid community recovery and ecosystem stabilization following re disturbances characteristic of pyrophilic peatlands. Our ndings reveal a previously unrecognized diversity of invertebrate taxa and demonstrate the ecacy of molecular tools in the description of cryptic community assemblages.

Details

Title: eDNA metabarcoding reveals invertebrate diversity in the blackwater pools of southeast Queensland peatlands
Authors: Grace Smith (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Tomer Ventura (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Catherine Yule (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: Research Square, Vol.1 April 2026
Publisher: Research Square Company
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9238693/v1
ISSN: 2693-5015
Copyright note: This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License
Data Availability: Raw sequencing data is available via the NCBI Sequence Reference Archive (SRA) under BioProject #PRJNA1402468. R scripts used for statistical analyses and code used to generate all figures is available through the GitHub repository: github.com/graceponders/eDNA-methods-analysis.
Grants: Ecosystem based approach to protecting threatened species in subtropical peat swamps, CSAT22032, Queensland Department of Environment and Science (Australia, Brisbane)
Organisation Unit: K'gari Research Cluster; School of Education and Tertiary Access; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991240799202621
Output Type: Preprint

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