Biodiversity under your feet (part 2)

Tatra National Park (TNP), Poland

9-11 September 2023

The 3-day meeting was closing the sampling period, lasting 20 weeks, in Tatra National Park. During
this time, and thanks to 20 TNP rangers and other employees form the didactic and scientific
departments, 200 samples of arthropods occurring in the TPN were collected from
five altitudes. This work is crucial step in widening our knowledge on the insect diversity in high
mountains. During the meeting we also led workshop on molecular methods in biodiversity studies
focusing on barcoding and metabarcoding from laboratory work (DNA extraction, PCR reaction,
electrophoresis) to interpretation of data.

The first day, together with TPN rangers, we collected last samples from Malaise traps and we folded
the traps. Second day we had practicals on the metabarcoding techniques: including extraction of
DNA from bulk samples, PCR, electrophoresis. We also made the participants familiar with different
sequencing techniques with emphasis of sequencing using MinION. We also identified together the
sequences with the use of BOLD. During the last day we presented the games and lectures with the
aim of introducing the genetic tools in the biodiversity estimation.

The time was very fruitful, we had a lot of fun while investigating the TNP arthropod diversity
together. Working together allow for great exchange of knowledge and we reached the aim of
implementing molecular methods in scientific and didactic work of TNP and for future work in the
national parks.

Want to know more? Contact our BGE colleagues:

Aleksandra Jablonska (aleksandra.jablonska@biol.uni.lodz.pl)

Karolina Bacela-Spychalska (karolina.bacela@biol.uni.lodz.pl)