Microbial Biotechnology: Harnessing Microbes for Sustainable Resource Utilization

ABSTRACT Urban green spaces serve as ecological refuges amidst expanding cityscapes, yet their full biodiversity—especially cryptic species—often remains underexplored due to limitations in traditional survey methods. This study investigates the effectiveness of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding in detecting cryptic biodiversity within urban green spaces of Chhattisgarh, India. Using eDNA samples from four urban parks—Urja Park, Gandhi Udyan, Atal Park, and Purkhouti Muktangan—we detected significantly higher species richness compared to visual surveys. Notably, the presence of microfaunal taxa, fungi, protists, and elusive amphibians underscores the hidden ecological value of urban environments. The study highlights eDNA as a powerful, non-invasive tool for urban biodiversity monitoring and advocates for its integration into ecological assessments and urban planning strategies. These findings reinforce the role of green spaces not only in human well-being but also in conserving unseen layers of urban biodiversity. KEYWORDS eDNA (Environmental DNA), cryptic biodiversity, urban ecology, metabarcoding, species richness, Raipur urban parks, molecular ecology, conservation, non-invasive monitoring.