eDNA Biodiversity Detection

AUS-AIF-AQU-DNA General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

18 count
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: Point

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is Point, but the benchmark data may be missing required fields (e.g., optimal range bounds for an OptimalRange benchmark). This is typically a data quality issue in the benchmark pipeline.

Evidence & Context

Benchmark Value: 18 native vertebrate species.

Metric Definition:

Total number of native vertebrate species detected at the reference site.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the total count of native vertebrate species detected by eDNA at the best available condition reference site in the arid inland floodplains and ephemeral river systems biome under aquaculture land use.

Justification:

This value represents the highest observed native vertebrate species richness from a site (Darling River at Louth, Site 101) in an arid catchment during the GAWS Spring 2023 survey that also had zero detections of invasive fish, thus representing the 'best available condition' of the natural environment.

Sources (1)

Preview of Results — Great Australian Wildlife Search
Results — Great Australian Wildlife Search GreyLiterature

Great Australian Wildlife Search - Biodiversity Findings Report Spring 2023

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Supporting Sources (2)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of eDNA: Review of applicability for monitoring and detecting biotic populations of the Murray-Darling Basin - Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, accessed August 12, 2025
eDNA: Review of applicability for monitoring and detecting biotic populations of the Murray-Darling Basin - Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, accessed August 12, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Correlated environmental DNA and electrofished estimates of relative biomass for golden perch, Macquaria ambigua - Frontiers, accessed July 20, 2025

View Source
Preview of Results — Great Australian Wildlife Search, accessed July 20, 2025
Results — Great Australian Wildlife Search, accessed July 20, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Results — Great Australian Wildlife Search, accessed July 20, 2025

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems
  • Land Use Aquaculture
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Season Spring
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 3 Jun 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. This is a proxy benchmark due to absence of direct data for aquaculture in this biome, emphasizing native species richness and absence of invasive species.