Environmental DNA (eDNA) Technology in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Research: Advances and Prospects

Environmental DNA (eDNA) technology, as a minimally invasive or noninvasive monitoring approach, has been increasingly applied in biodiversity surveys and ecosystem health assessment by detecting genetic material in environmental samples. This approach exhibits high sensitivity for identifying rare, endangered, and invasive species, with broad applicability across aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric ecosystems. Moreover, eDNA metabarcoding enables large-scale detection of microbial community structure and function. By systematically synthesizing multi-environment case studies, this review evaluates optimized eDNA workflows, including sampling (0.22-0.45 μm filtration for aquatic systems, PCI/DNeasy methods for soils, and MD8 samplers for air), DNA extraction, and bioinformatic analysis, integrating standardized guidelines to enhance research reproducibility and comparability. Despite advantages such as reduced field labor and cost efficiency, eDNA applications still face critical challenges, such as reference database gaps, full-process quality control risks, methodological inconsistencies, and limitations in abundance quantification. Future advancements in sequencing technologies, bioinformatics, and interdisciplinary integration (machine learning, remote sensing) are expected to expand eDNA's role in tackling global change issues such as climate adaptation, pollution tracking, and ecological restoration.