Modern technological approaches help scientists track biodiversity like never before

Biodiversity conservation has entered a new era. Apart from relying on catching animals, counting plants or direct observation, scientists are now focusing on modern tools from environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis to decades-long specimen archives and global species trait databases and tree ring analysis.

These approaches are opening new windows into the natural world and making it easier to study regions that are otherwise inaccessible.

Recent studies from around the world are showing how these innovations are changing the way we track, understand and protect life on Earth.

While DNA has been used in conservation research before, but the recent studies take the technology several steps further, making them part of a new wave of biodiversity science.

In the far northwest of China, the Kashi River flows through a remote part of the Ili River basin. The region is rich in biodiversity but difficult to study due to harsh terrain, seasonal ice cover and limited resources for regular surveys.

To overcome this, researchers from the Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China; and Xinjiang Fisheries Research Institute turned to eDNA metabarcoding, a method that collects water samples and identifies DNA traces shed by fish.

They collected 37 samples in two seasons, April and September, from 21 sites, spanning upstream and downstream stretches of the river. 

The DNA was then filtered, sequenced and matched to known fish species using bioinformatics tools. Some 166 fish species were detected, compared to just 27 found in earlier net surveys. These included species from the Cyprinidae family as well as Gobionidae, Xenocyprididae and rare endemic species.

There were clear seasonal changes in species composition, and diversity was lower in areas with higher human impact, such as near hydropower stations.

The study showed that eDNA can be faster, less invasive and more comprehensive than traditional methods, making it a valuable tool for monitoring fish communities in remote rivers.

While eDNA reveals what is living in a habitat today, other scientists are using archived natural materials to look back in time. In Germany, the Environmental Specimen Bank has been storing samples like tree leaves, bladderwrack seaweed, blue mussels and zebra mussels since 1985. 

These organisms act as natural DNA samplers, passively collecting genetic material from their surroundings.

Researchers from Trier University, Germany analysed 550 samples collected over nearly four decades from terrestrial, marine and freshwater sites. 

Using DNA metabarcoding, they identified over 66,000 unique taxonomic units, ranging from bacteria and fungi to algae and invertebrates.

Each type of sampler reflected its own environment: Mussels captured plankton from surrounding waters, leaves carried DNA from canopy insects and fungi, and bladderwrack contained traces of coastal animals. 

Some communities appeared stable over time, while others showed declines or shifts in species composition.

This work demonstrated that archived specimens can serve as time machines, offering rare, long-term biodiversity records across multiple ecosystems.

Scientists are also applying advanced global species trait and threat databases to assess the conservation status of turtles and tortoises, ancient reptiles that have survived for millions of years but are now facing unprecedented challenges. 

Researchers from Arizona State University, the University of California and collaborating institutions compiled data on 378 species from the IUCN Red List, specialist databases and regional records.

They included information on traits such as body size, geographic range, and reproductive patterns, along with data on threats like poaching, habitat loss, pollution and climate change.

Statistical models, accounting for evolutionary relationships between species, revealed that turtles and tortoises in South and Southeast Asia are in serious trouble, with about 85 per cent of species at risk. 

Larger-bodied species with small habitats and special ecological roles are especially vulnerable. Alarmingly, environmental changes such as climate shifts and deforestation are happening much faster than these animals can adapt.

The study also warned that eight species not yet officially assessed, including the Flatback Turtle and the Assam Box Turtle, are probably already threatened. This “big data” approach provides a clear guide for where conservation work should begin urgently.

The studies are not only limited to animals. Using global tree-ring datasets, scientists estimated the maximum ages of tree species and linked these to climate conditions during their early growth years. 

They examined how growth rates, species identity and environmental factors affected longevity. The findings showed that trees experiencing mild climate stress in their youth often lived longer and older trees displayed remarkable resilience to environmental changes.

More than geography, it was the combination of species traits and climate conditions that determined how long a tree could survive. This knowledge can help guide forest management by focusing on species most likely to anchor ecosystems through future climate challenges.

Although DNA has long been a tool in conservation science, these studies push its use to an entirely new level, placing them at the forefront of a new generation of biodiversity research.

In the Kashi River project, eDNA was not used as a one-time survey tool but applied across two seasons and 21 sites, revealing both seasonal and spatial changes in fish communities, something earlier DNA studies rarely captured.

The archived specimen research in Germany turned decades of stored natural materials into time machines, producing multi-decade biodiversity trends across marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, far beyond the short-term snapshots typical of past work.

The global turtle and tortoise assessment went beyond mapping current threats by combining species traits, evolutionary relationships, and human pressures to forecast risks for unevaluated species, offering an early-warning system that earlier Red List–based studies could not provide. 

Even tree ring analysis added a new dimension by linking early-life climate conditions to centuries-long survival patterns, showing how environmental history shapes resilience.

Together, these studies show how modern tools are moving from simply detecting species to building connected, multi-scale pictures of biodiversity from past to present to predicted futures. 

This integration of eDNA, long-term archives, big data modelling and climate-linked trait analysis marks a shift from isolated observations to powerful, predictive systems that can guide proactive conservation action.

Final summary: Modern technological advancements, such as eDNA analysis and global databases, are transforming biodiversity conservation by enabling scientists to track species in remote areas and study long-term trends. These innovations provide comprehensive insights into ecosystems, allowing for more effective predictions of future challenges and guiding conservation efforts beyond traditional methods, marking a new era in biodiversity science.