Objective

The objective of this project is to demonstrate the use of airborne environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis as a cost-effective and non-invasive management tool for threatened and endangered species (TES) on Department of Defense (DoD) lands. Conventional methods used to survey and monitor TES on DoD lands are often costly, time-intensive, and disruptive to the environment and species in question. Analysis of water and sediment samples to detect eDNA has been used to monitor TES. However, these approaches have limited utility for TES detection in vast, complex, and varied terrestrial environments (e.g., caves, forests, marshes) that often can be difficult to access on DoD lands. To address such limitations, this project will demonstrate airborne eDNA analysis as an all encompassing molecular based approach that can efficiently survey terrestrial habitats for TES on DoD lands. This project has five primary objectives: 1) demonstrate the utility of airborne eDNA analysis for monitoring TES through a case study of at-risk bat species and the fungal pathogen causing white-nose syndrome in bats; 2) evaluate performance of airborne eDNA analysis via comparative sampling and analytical methods under variable environmental conditions; 3) validate the approach by comparing airborne eDNA analysis with conventional survey methods; 4) evaluate ecosystem-level patterns of biodiversity and their impact on TES presence/absence and 5) develop user-friendly guidance, including airborne eDNA sampling protocols to facilitate adoption of this technology by DoD land managers.

Technology Description

eDNA refers to genetic material shed from an organism into its environment and is collected from bulk, non-target samples such as water, soil, and air. Detection of biodiversity with eDNA is accomplished without a targeted sample, limiting identification error and disturbance to species. Specifically, airborne eDNA refers to bulk environmental samples collected directly from the air and represents the most recently established eDNA technology, having been used to successfully detect plants, animals, insects, and fungi in nature. Airborne eDNA analyses have flexibility for how samples are collected, having both passive (material delivered by the air itself) and active (fan actively drawing in air from a power source) collection methods which suits the highly fluid and varied environments on DoD lands.

Benefits

The presence of TES inhabiting DoD lands can impose restrictions on training and thus mission readiness. Subsequently, the DoD invests significant resources into TES monitoring and management. Current conventional surveying methods are expensive, time consuming, often destructive, and limited to regularly accessible sites. Airborne eDNA analysis offers a means to rapidly assess biodiversity (including for TES) that could even utilize previous infrastructure (e.g., weather monitors). Further, the flexibility of airborne eDNA samples facilitates broad applications such as monitoring threats to soldiers and civilians and detecting synthetic bio-threats. This technology would facilitate a DoD-wide transfer of airborne eDNA technology.