DNA Barcoding for Plant Species Identification
Summary
DNA barcoding employs short, standardised genetic regions to identify plant species by comparing unknown samples against a reference library of verified sequences. Unlike the mitochondrial COI gene used in animals, plant barcoding typically relies on plastid loci (rbcL, matK) and non-coding spacers (trnH-psbA) supplemented by nuclear regions (ITS2) to achieve both universality and sufficient interspecific variation. The approach has matured through international collaboration and the assembly of large, curated reference datasets, enabling rapid species discovery, biodiversity monitoring and forensic identification of timber and medicinal plants. Advances in high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic pipelines now support environmental DNA surveys (eDNA) and metabarcoding studies, offering unprecedented resolution in community ecology and conservation management. Despite intrinsic challenges—such as low mutation rates in some clades, incomplete lineage sorting and the need for multi-locus strategies—DNA barcoding remains a cornerstone for documenting plant diversity, informing habitat restoration, detecting invasive species and underpinning sustainable trade regulations.
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DNA Barcoding for Plant Species Identification publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in dna barcoding for plant species identification across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
DNA barcode: A standardised short DNA sequence used to identify species by comparison with a reference library.
ITS2: The internal transcribed spacer 2 region of nuclear ribosomal DNA, valued for its high species-level variability.
rbcL: A chloroplast-encoded gene for the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, commonly used in plant barcoding for its universality.
trnH-psbA: A non-coding intergenic spacer in the chloroplast genome, offering high discriminatory power among closely related species.
Barcode gap: The genetic divergence threshold separating intraspecific variation from interspecific differences, critical for reliable species delimitation.
References
- Semi-automated sequence curation for reliable reference datasets in ITS2 vascular plant DNA (meta-)barcoding. Scientific Data (2024).
- The Expanding Role of DNA Barcodes: Indispensable Tools for Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation. Diversity (2022).
- A Two-Locus Global DNA Barcode for Land Plants: The Coding rbcL Gene Complements the Non-Coding trnH-psbA Spacer Region. PLOS ONE (2007).
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