From Drones to DNA: Impact of Technology on Biodiversity Research

Background

The decline in biodiversity represents an alarming threat to the environment and human well-being. Therefore, sustainable biodiversity research is warranted to explore innovative solutions for multifaceted and ever-evolving challenges of maintaining stable and resilient ecosystems, food security, and ecological balances.

Advanced technological applications have facilitated various aspects of biodiversity research and provided intelligent tools to enhance the feasibility of conducting studies to monitor and conserve biodiversity systems and much attention has been given to this field.

This observation was strongly supported by a significant increase in the number of projects and publications that have addressed impactful research questions (Figure 1).  In addition, a promising research direction was identified to advance interdisciplinary approaches in biodiversity including conservation biology, one health, and eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Designs and protocols

Technological applications play a crucial role in biodiversity research and several protocols can be designed and implemented in biodiversity studies including drones and remote biosensors which are used for aerial surveys, mapping, and monitoring of ecosystems. This provides high-resolution imagery and data for assessing habitat structure, vegetation health, and wildlife populations (Figure 2).

Genomics and next-generation sequencing of environmental DNA provides a wealth of genetic information about the organisms present in a particular ecosystem (Figure 2).

In addition, geographic information systems and bioacoustics monitoring can be employed to record and analyze spatial and sound data. This aids in mapping species distribution, identifying conservation priorities, and understanding the connectivity of various ecosystems (Figure 2).

Selected free full-text articles

• Naqvi Q, Wolff PJ, Molano-Flores B, Sperry JH. Camera traps are an effective tool for monitoring insect-plant interactions. Ecol Evol. 2022 Jun 2;12(6):e8962. doi: 10.1002/ece3.8962. PMID: 35784070; PMCID: PMC9163375. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35784070/
  
• Fernandes T, Cordeiro N. Microalgae as Sustainable Biofactories to Produce High-Value Lipids: Biodiversity, Exploitation, and Biotechnological Applications. Mar Drugs. 2021 Oct 14;19(10):573. doi: 10.3390/md19100573. PMID: 34677472; PMCID: PMC8540142. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34677472/
  
• Wassermann B, Abdelfattah A, Cernava T, Wicaksono W, Berg G. Microbiome-based biotechnology for reducing food loss post harvest. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2022 Dec;78:102808. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102808. Epub 2022 Sep 29. PMID: 36183451. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36183451/
  
• Tsoi R, Dai Z, You L. Emerging strategies for engineering microbial communities. Biotechnol Adv. 2019 Nov 1;37(6):107372. doi: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.03.011. Epub 2019 Mar 15. PMID: 30880142; PMCID: PMC6710121. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30880142/
  
• Maestri S, Cosentino E, Paterno M, Freitag H, Garces JM, Marcolungo L, Alfano M, Njunjić I, Schilthuizen M, Slik F, Menegon M, Rossato M, Delledonne M. A Rapid and Accurate MinION-Based Workflow for Tracking Species Biodiversity in the Field. Genes (Basel). 2019 Jun 20;10(6):468. doi: 10.3390/genes10060468. PMID: 31226847; PMCID: PMC6627956. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31226847/