Biodiversity & Conservation
eDNA analysis allows for the rapid assessment of biodiversity in ecosystems from a wide range of sample substrates including water, air, soil, swabs. By identifying and sequencing DNA fragments found in environmental samples, researchers can determine the presence of various species, including rare or elusive ones. This technique is particularly useful for monitoring threatened or endangered species.
eDNA can assist in detecting rare and threatened species through:
- Non-invasive sampling: eDNA sampling is non-invasive, meaning it doesn't require physically capturing or disturbing the organisms. This reduces stress on the animals and minimizes potential negative impacts on their populations.
- Sensitive detection: eDNA analysis can be highly sensitive, allowing for the detection of even small amounts of genetic material from target species. This is particularly useful for rare or elusive species that might be challenging to observe directly.
- Broad sampling coverage: eDNA can be collected from various sources like water bodies, soil, or even air particles near the habitat. This provides a broader coverage of potential habitats, increasing the chances of detecting the presence of rare species across a wider area.
eDNA can assist in detecting rare and threatened species through:
- Non-invasive sampling: eDNA sampling is non-invasive, meaning it doesn't require physically capturing or disturbing the organisms. This reduces stress on the animals and minimizes potential negative impacts on their populations.
- Sensitive detection: eDNA analysis can be highly sensitive, allowing for the detection of even small amounts of genetic material from target species. This is particularly useful for rare or elusive species that might be challenging to observe directly.
- Broad sampling coverage: eDNA can be collected from various sources like water bodies, soil, or even air particles near the habitat. This provides a broader coverage of potential habitats, increasing the chances of detecting the presence of rare species across a wider area.
Biodiversity surveillance
As technology and methodologies advance, eDNA is now becoming a pivotal tool for all aspects of biodiversity monitoring and conservation. In particular it can be used for:
- Monitoring species abundance and distribution: By regularly sampling eDNA from a specific location over time, researchers can monitor changes in species abundance and distribution. This longitudinal approach provides valuable data on population dynamics and how species respond to environmental changes.
- Assessing ecosystem health: The presence or absence of certain species can serve as indicators of ecosystem health. Monitoring changes in biodiversity through eDNA analysis can help assess the overall health and functioning of ecosystems.
- Understanding species interactions: By monitoring multiple species' eDNA in an ecosystem, researchers can gain insights into species interactions and ecological relationships, such as predator-prey dynamics or symbiotic associations.
- Efficient surveying of large areas: eDNA analysis allows for the collection of samples from multiple sites simultaneously, making it a more efficient method for surveying large areas compared to traditional field surveys.
- Early warning system for environmental changes: Changes in the eDNA composition can indicate shifts in the environment, such as pollution or climate-related impacts. Biodiversity surveillance using eDNA can serve as an early warning system for such changes.
- Setting conservation priorities: Biodiversity surveillance through eDNA can provide critical data for setting conservation priorities and developing management strategies to protect threatened species and their habitats.
Dietary analysis
eDNA-based diet analysis has been particularly valuable for studying the diet of elusive or endangered species, as well as for investigating the feeding habits of species in hard-to-reach or sensitive environments. eDNA analysis has proven to be a valuable tool for understanding the dietary ecology of various species and their role in food webs and ecosystems.
- Through scat and stomach samples the dietary preferences and composition of the species being studied can be readily inferred. The relative abundance of different prey species in the eDNA samples can provide information about the proportion of each prey item in the diet.
- Temporal diet analysis: Collecting eDNA samples over time can also provide insights into the seasonal or temporal variations in the diet of the species.
- Non-invasive approach: eDNA-based diet analysis is non-invasive and does not require capturing or disturbing the animals. This makes it an ethical and stress-free method to study their dietary habits.
- High-throughput analysis: With advances in sequencing technology, eDNA-based diet analysis can be performed on multiple samples simultaneously, allowing for efficient and high-throughput analysis.
Other applications of eDNA
Assay Development
We develop custom assays to assess the presence of species using eDNA and eRNA following the most stringent quality standards.
Biosecurity
Some of the key applications of eDNA in biosecurity include; early detection of invasive species, surveillance of pathogens, quarantine and border control, biosecurity risk assessments.
EcoDNA acknowledges the Ngunnawal people, traditional custodians of the lands where we are situated. We wish to acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of Canberra and the region. We also acknowledge all other First Nations Peoples on whose lands we gather.
Email: ecoDNA@canberra.edu.au
Address: Building 7, Level D, University of Canberra, Bruce ACT 2617 Australia