A new study has highlighted swabbing leaves as a potentially effective way to gather DNA samples of vertebrates in terrestrial ecosystems.
Sampling and analysis of eDNA has been gaining popularity among researchers as an effective and non-invasive way to survey large ecosystems, especially in aquatic settings; its use in terrestrial environments has, however, faced a few restrictions.The idea had stemmed from Lynggaard’s previous work in biodiversity monitoring with the help of DNA samples collected from the air.
“All it takes is a swab and some gloves with a collection tube filled with a liquid to fix the DNA; that and three minutes to swab some leaves,” co-author Gogarten, also from the Helmholtz Institute and the Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation Research Group at the University of Greifswald in Germany, told Mongabay in an email interview.Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is the genetic material left behind by animals via their hair, excreta, fur and saliva.
“Sample collection was really simple — put on some gloves, unwrap a cotton bud, dip it in a solution that preserves DNA, and then swab all the leaves we could for three minutes,” study co-author Patrick Omeja, a senior research fellow and field director at Makerere University in Kampala, told Mongabay in an email interview. “If you have to leave the area quickly because elephants arrive on the scene, there is no equipment or heavy batteries to pack up and carry, which is another advantage.