Biodiversity hotspots in tropical forests in West Africa: a DNA-based framework to aid vertebrate conservation efforts

It is of utmost importance to monitor vertebrates in order to understand what drives species decline. Traditional methods based on direct observations are challenging as some vertebrates are elusive or present in low density, which leads to incomplete species inventories. I aim to build a DNA-based vertebrate biomonitoring framework in tropical forests in West Africa. I will rely on traces of DNA that animals have left in the environment, known as environmental DNA (eDNA), which will be coupled with DNA metabarcoding, a molecular method that allows simultaneous identification of many species across many samples. I will target vertebrate DNA in water, fecal samples from chimpanzees and bonobos as they feed on other vertebrates, and carrion flies, as they constantly ingest genetic material from vertebrates. With this project, I expect to improve our knowledge of vertebrate species diversity in tropical forests in West Africa and how vertebrate communities respond to changes in the environment, with the ultimate goal of aiding vertebrate conservation efforts.