Using ancient environmental DNA to assess VOlcanic LAkes REference conditions, biodiversity and long term ecological response to climate variability and anthropic pressure (VOLARE)

This poster presents the results of a year and a half of research conducted as part of a PRIN project funded by the Italian Ministry for Universities and Research. The Water Framework Directive requires states of the European Union to ensure that the ecological quality of water bodies is maintained close to those of an undisturbed body of water (reference condition). In the Italian context, there are no environments free from anthropogenic pressure and the methods used to define the ecological quality of the lakes are expensive. The project, funded in 2022, aims to provide a cost-effective solution through three coordinated actions, combining traditional paleolimnological methods, ecological surveys, and analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from the sediments of volcanic lakes in central and southern Italy: 1) Assess the potential of eDNA from surface sediments, representing the last 2-3 years, to generate a list of organisms present and to use it as an indicator of ecological quality; 2) Use eDNA from 1-2 meter sediment cores to track changes in the biological communities and ecological conditions over the last centuries, estimating the reference condition; 3) Integrate eDNA with ecological surveys on a sediment core from Monticchio Lake (Basilicata) to study the natural variability of volcanic lake ecosystems and distinguish climate-driven changes. A 14-meter core from this lake is also available, allowing reconstructions back to the last glaciation (33,000 years ago). The aim is to increase awareness of sustainable practices to protect volcanic lakes, mitigate climate change impacts, and support water quality management and policy decisions.