Researchers use environmental DNA to map biodiversity in Bhutan
Birmensdorf/Zurich - Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich are participating in the first nationwide biodiversity survey in Bhutan. The hope is to gain insights into changes in ecosystems as a result of economic growth.
(CONNECT) The WildinSync initiative is investigating how infrastructure measures affect biodiversity in Bhutan. The initiative is led by Loïc Pellissier, a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) in Birmensdorf in the Swiss canton of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH). According to a statement from the WSL, the initiative aims to create the first nationwide biodiversity map using environmental DNA, remote sensing via satellite data, and artificial intelligence (AI), to help indicate changes in natural habitats as a result of economic growth.
Infrastructure measures planned in Bhutan include hydropower projects and the Mindfulness City technology center. To ensure coexistence between this economic growth and the protection of nature, including countless animal species, the project will carry out monitoring, helping to show the effects of climate change, changes in land use, and large-scale projects such as Mindfulness City.
According to the WSL, environmental DNA (eDNA) will form the basis for the first nationwide survey of biodiversity. Organisms naturally release this genetic material into their environment, for example via skin cells, saliva, or excrement. The genetic traces are carried by rain into rivers and streams, where they can be collected by filtering water samples. Taken at 200 sampling points, the DNA samples will reportedly be processed in the country's first eDNA laboratory, which has been in operation since spring 2025 and was co-founded by WildinSync.
The researchers can use this data to draw conclusions about the animal species living there without directly observing or capturing them in their habitats, according to the statement. Pellissier highlights the high cost of previous methods: “Traditionally, monitoring relies on experts identifying species in the field, or placing camera traps, both of which are costly and labour-intensive,” he is quoted as saying. ce/heg
