Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.107400 |
Licence  |
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| Title (Primary) | Sample size shapes metabarcoding-driven biodiversity assessments across body sizes in soil |
| Author | Wang, L.; Leonar, A.L.; Cesarz, S.; Eisenhauer, N.; Chatzinotas, A.; Jurburg, S.D. |
| Source Titel | Applied Soil Ecology |
| Year | 2026 |
| Department | iDiv; AME |
| Volume | 277 |
| Page From | art. 107400 |
| Language | englisch |
| Topic | T7 Bioeconomy |
| Supplements | Supplement 1 Supplement 2 |
| Keywords | 18S rRNA gene metabarcoding; Soil eukaryotes; Sample size; Body size; Soil eDNA |
| Abstract | Understanding
how sample size influences biodiversity detection across taxonomic
groups differing in body size is critical for designing robust and
cost-efficient metabarcoding studies of soil eukaryotes. Using a soil
mass gradient (0.25–32 g) combined with a universal 18S rRNA gene
metabarcoding approach, we quantified how sample mass shapes diversity
estimates across eukaryotic taxa. Diversity metrics (richness and
inverse Simpson diversity; q = 0, 2) and community dispersion exhibited
clear body size-dependent responses. Larger-bodied taxa (e.g., Nematoda,
Collembola, Insecta) showed pronounced increases in detected diversity
and reduced community dispersion with increasing soil mass, indicating
that small soil samples fail to capture their full diversity.
Conversely, microeukaryotic groups such as fungi and protists displayed
weak or even negative relationships with increasing soil mass, implying
limited improvement in detection with increased sampling effort. These
findings demonstrate that soil sample sizes are strongly modulated by
organismal body size and spatial distribution. We propose that a
taxon-specific analytical framework can enhance both the ecological
representativeness and cost efficiency in metabarcoding-based soil
biodiversity assessments and monitoring. |
| Wang, L., Leonar, A.L., Cesarz, S., Eisenhauer, N., Chatzinotas, A., Jurburg, S.D. (2026): Sample size shapes metabarcoding-driven biodiversity assessments across body sizes in soil Appl. Soil Ecol. 277 , art. 107400 10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.107400 |
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