Conventional biodiversity monitoring is usually very time-consuming and costly. As part of the Environmental DNA (eDNA) project launched in March 2024, Wilderness International and ETH Zurich – with support from the Audi Foundation for the Environment and drones from DJI – are therefore trialling a completely new method of eDNA sampling. Not only is this method fast, minimally invasive and precise – making previously unexplored regions accessible and filling gaps in research – but it is also more cost-effective than conventional methods in the long term.
State-of-the-art technology for nature conservation
For this new project, the Environmental Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich has developed a robot for a Matrice drone, which DJI is providing for the project. The robot is capable of collecting eDNA samples, which can be used to determine which animal and plant species have been present at a particular location. Thanks to the drones being used, samples can not only be collected much more quickly and effectively, but also from locations that would otherwise be difficult to reach, such as the treetops of primeval forest giants. Whilst there is a high density of data for the ground-level area, the upper layers of the rainforest remain virtually unexplored in this respect, even though 60–90 per cent of biodiversity is found there. This pilot project enables Wilderness International to obtain important information about biodiversity in the protected areas quickly and at low cost. For ETH Zurich, the project provides an opportunity to test the new technology and compare the results with those obtained using traditional methods. To date, 36 samples have been collected by drone at three sites within the Foundation’s protected areas in Peru.
Every organism leaves traces in its environment, for example through moulting and the loss of hairs, or the excretion of secretions and faeces. We can then analyse these traces for DNA strands and identify the species from which the DNA originates. Even the smallest amounts of DNA are sufficient, as the method is extremely sensitive. Ultimately, we hope that this new method will enable us to determine the true value of these species-rich hotspots, so that we can effectively promote the conservation of intact ecosystems and the restoration of degraded ones.
For several years now, Wilderness International, in collaboration with the local research organisation Fauna Forever, has been collecting biodiversity data using conventional methods in its protected areas within the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. This data is used to identify new potential protected areas, to make the impact of conservation work tangible for donors, and to support basic research in the respective areas. Until the new method has proven itself, the results will continue to be compared with those from conventional research.
Partnerships and future areas of application
The pilot project can only be carried out thanks to collaboration with dedicated partners:
- ETH Zurich has developed the sampling technology and is continuously working on improvements
- the Audi Environmental Foundation is subsidising the project costs;
DJI is providing a Matrice drone - Fauna Forever provides comparative data from conventional biodiversity research methods
- We are applying the technology and methodology in our conservation areas, thereby enabling improvements to the process
Monitoring biodiversity using drone-based eDNA surveys and analysis is pioneering for Wilderness International’s nature conservation work. We are currently trialling this methodology in connection with the monitoring of areas that are already protected, and plan to use it to revolutionise the selection of areas yet to be protected in the future. This will enable us to deploy our resources in a much more targeted manner and achieve valid results more quickly. Consequently, we could place primeval forest areas under conservation even more swiftly in the future.
As the technology can be applied globally, the project is helping to open up new horizons in biodiversity research worldwide. Following the trial phase in Peru, Wilderness International will also be able to apply this new research method in protected areas in Canada. Very little biodiversity data is currently available for these areas – the eDNA samples could therefore help to fill major gaps in our knowledge there too.
The study on the new method of eDNA collection can be viewed here.