University of Michigan Biological Station

The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) was founded in 1909.

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Michigan monkey-flower eDNA Collection

Plant Population
eDNA
Michigan monkey-flower
pollinators
Project Abstract: 
MMF is Michigan’s only federally endangered and endemic plant species and is also listed as state endangered. Pollinator research has not been completed for this species. Identifying pollinators of the endangered MMF will supplement recovery efforts which would include protection and conservation of those identified pollinators along with an understanding surrounding the single sexually reproductive population. MMF is known from only 19 extant and 4 historical occurrences and is distributed principally within Michigan’s Mackinac Straits region in Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, and Mackinac Counties, with outlying localities to the south in Benzie and Leelanau Counties. It is restricted to cool, alkaline springs and streams usually associated with Thuja occidentalis (Northern white-cedar) swamps along current and post-glacial Great Lakes shorelines. There is only one known population that reproduces via seed, at the Maple River Site. This request plans to collect flowers from known sites throughout the species’ range where collection has been approved by the landowner.
Investigators: 
aschubel
diggesdk
Status of Research Project: 
Active
Years Active: 
2026
Methods: 
Standard protocol and guidelines for collecting and filtering samples will follow the method described in USACE’s Environmental DNA Sampling for At-Risk and Invasive Species Management on Military Ranges. The process begins with collecting flowers in the field. We plan to collect from 10-15 sites this year; this number is dependent on ease of access to the site and landowner permission. A small portion of MMF flowers will be collected at each site and placed in a sterile bottle with deionized water. No more than 30% of the flowers will be collected at each site. The bottles will be stored in coolers with ice packs until we can get to a place where the filtering equipment can be set up. The water from the bottles containing the eDNA will now be filtered through a setup as described in the USACE’s document linked above. Once the water has gone through the filter paper, it will be placed in the in plastic tubes containing CTAB buffer. These samples will be shipped to the US Army ERDC-CERL center where they will be processed for the presence of invertebrate eDNA.