Funded by: Afeyan Family Foundation
PIs: Arsen Gasparyan, Robert LĂĽcking
Link to talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BscNv_p-540
Project description
Armenia, part of the Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot, hosts substantial fungal biodiversity that remains largely overlooked and undervalued. The project aimed to address this gap by applying eDNA metabarcoding-a modern technique that enables the detection of multiple species from environmental DNA (eDNA) present in soil, water, air and other types of samples. The eDNA metabarcoding approach has proven to be an effective complementary tool for monitoring lichen and fungal biodiversity at diverse scales. The project’s pilot study was carried out in Dilijan National Park, whose temperate mountainous forests and other ecosystems host rich flora, fauna and fungi with high species diversity. The Park serves as a key habitat for more than 480 known species of fungi and at least 130 species of lichens.
The project studied the lichen and fungal biota using eDNA metabarcoding with a particular focus on identifying threatened species and overlooked habitats, such as deadwood, as well as applying conservation strategies. In parallel, the project developed collaboration between the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment and the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin (BGBM)-affiliated with the Freie Universität Berlin.
