March 29, 2024

Science: Air measurements can provide data on biodiversity

Sciences Air measurements can provide data on biodiversity

The gauges are located at the air measurement station at the Baden-Württemberg State Institute for the Environment (LUBW) in downtown Stuttgart. picture

© Marijane Mourad/DPA

The biodiversity of many regions is often difficult to quantify. Air quality monitoring plants can help by filtering out DNA from plants and animals — but there are ethical concerns.

Measurement stations that monitor air quality around the world can make a critical contribution to documenting the state of global biodiversity. A study by Canadian and British researchers has shown that air samples contain environmental DNA (eDNA) from animals and plants – thus a “treasure trove” of previously hidden data on biodiversity.

In addition to the climate crisis, biodiversity loss is one of the planet’s greatest challenges, as emphasized by the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity Protection in December. But it is difficult to quantify this decline. “An often cited problem is that the infrastructure required for global monitoring is not available,” the research team explains in Current Biology — and challenges that claim with their study.

A huge and as yet untapped resource

Indeed, there is already a global network that can provide information on the evolution and status of biodiversity, the team writes, pointing to measurement stations to monitor air quality. “These nets have been around for decades, but we haven’t really thought about the ecological value of the specimens they collect,” Elizabeth Clare of York University Toronto said in a statement.

These networks are a huge and previously untapped source of biodiversity data, adds Andrew Brown of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in Teddington, UK. This approach was inspired by two previous studies that showed, for example, that species could be identified in zoos using air samples.

This gave Brown and his colleagues the idea of ​​using air quality monitoring stations to search for eDNA. The researchers have now extracted and analyzed this environmental DNA from two monitoring stations in London and Scotland.

“It could be an absolute game changer.”

“We found evidence of eDNA for more than 180 different plants and animals in just two locations,” says biologist Claire. The list therefore included animals such as badgers, flowers, hedgehogs, and smooth newts, trees such as ash, lime, pine, willow, and oak, and plants such as yarrow, mallow, and chrysanthemum. The team also found genetic material from 34 bird species.

For first author Joan Littlefair of Queen Mary University of London, the data holds huge potential: “This could be an absolute turning point for recording and monitoring biodiversity.” Almost every country has an air pollution monitoring network. In Germany, too, hundreds of gauge stations check air quality every day.

“This could solve a global problem of how to measure biodiversity on a large scale,” Littlefair said. In addition, specimens are sometimes stored for decades, so that retrospective takes on biodiversity development can also be made. A global effort is now needed to exploit the information it contains, as well as a standardized protocol for collecting new data.

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Also the issue of data protection

The scholars do not mention ethical aspects or potential data protection. This was recently discussed in a study in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Accordingly, human genetic material that can be identified when eDNA is removed can also be recorded – in surprising quantities and good quality.

“In most cases, the quality is about as good as a sample taken from a human,” said University of Florida author David Duffy. It is therefore necessary to assess the potential benefits of eDNA testing and data protection.

dpa