Steps forward in biomonitoring 2.0: eDNA Metabarcoding and community-level modelling allow the assessment of complex drivers of Neotropical fish diversity

The Neotropical realm still represents a great challenge to our understanding of species distribution patterns and the role played by different drivers of biodiversity. The paper by Coutant et al. (2022) is a great advance towards a holistic approach to quantifying the contribution of environmental and anthropogenic factors that drive community assembly in the Amazon, and how we can apply such knowledge to guide future monitoring programmes. Disentangling the relative roles played by multiple drivers of biodiversity allowed them to also highlight hotspot areas hosting unique freshwater fish diversity and to pinpoint conservation priorities.

Automated summary

The paper by Coutant et al. (2022) is an important advancement in understanding the species distribution patterns and drivers of biodiversity in the Neotropical realm, particularly in the Amazon. By quantifying the contribution of environmental and anthropogenic factors, the study provides valuable insights for future monitoring programs and identifies priority areas for conservation.