Curtin University researchers have detected traces of hundreds of plants and animals by collecting DNA from the air as they drove more than 1,100km across Western Australia.
The study demonstrates how a car-mounted air sampler could help scientists monitor biodiversity across vast landscapes, while also detecting pest species that could threaten agriculture and the environment.
Researchers collected air samples along a route from Cottesloe to Cocklebiddy, taking samples approximately every 26km as they travelled through forests, farmland and inland regions towards the Nullarbor.
By analysing the genetic material collected, the team identified 633 different types of plants and animals, including native wildlife, insects and invasive species.
Lead author Dr Joshua Newton from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences said the research showed that DNA collected from the air could reveal meaningful patterns in biodiversity across different environments.
“Every environment has its own mix of plants and animals, and we wanted to see whether we could detect those differences simply by collecting DNA from the air as we travelled,” Dr Newton said.
“Across more than 1,100km, we detected hundreds of different types of plants and animals. Importantly, the results showed the DNA we collected reflected differences in the landscapes we travelled through.”
The study found habitat and environmental conditions were more important in explaining differences in the plants and animals detected than distance alone.
The findings suggest the technique could help researchers build a broader picture of biodiversity across large areas, complementing traditional surveys that often require scientists to search for individual species in the field.
Co-author Professor Paul Nevill, also from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences, said the approach could offer a practical way to expand biodiversity monitoring across areas that are difficult or time consuming to survey.
“Being able to collect DNA while travelling through the landscape opens up exciting possibilities for monitoring biodiversity over large distances,” Professor Nevill said.
“It could help us identify patterns in wildlife and plant communities and highlight areas where more detailed surveys are needed.”
The researchers also detected 12 regulated pest species along the route, as well as other species of agricultural and environmental importance, including native budworm, stable fly and Australian sheep blowfly.
The findings highlight the potential for airborne DNA sampling to contribute to biosecurity monitoring by helping identify species that may warrant further investigation.
However, the researchers cautioned that DNA could travel through the air or be carried indirectly, including by vehicles. A detection does not necessarily mean a species lives at that exact location, and further surveys may be needed to confirm some findings.
Dr Newton said the method could complement existing monitoring techniques rather than replace them.
“Airborne DNA gives us another way to look for signs of life across large areas,” he said.
“Combined with other monitoring methods, it could help researchers and land managers better understand where species are being detected and where further investigation may be needed.”
The study ‘Car-mounted airborne eDNA sampling detects landscape scale biodiversity turnover along environmental gradients’ has been published in Molecular Ecology Resources.
