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Assessing Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes Through Drone-Based Environmental DNA Sampling
Camille Albouy1,2, Louise Humbert1,2,3, Kerstin Niedermeier1,2,3
1Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution, Department of Environmental Systems Science ETH Zürich Zürich Switzerland.
Ecology and Evolution
|August 12, 2026
Summary
Drones collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) show consistent local biodiversity results in agricultural fields. This method offers a new tool for monitoring farm-scale biodiversity, though management differences were not detected due to landscape effects.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Ecology
- Environmental DNA (eDNA) Analysis
- Biodiversity Monitoring
Background:
- Agricultural intensification impacts global biodiversity, threatening ecosystem services like pollination and pest control.
- Biodiversity-friendly practices are encouraged in Europe, but farm-scale impact quantification is challenging.
- Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers a novel approach to assess biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a drone-based eDNA sampling method for assessing hexapod biodiversity in agricultural fields.
- To compare the effectiveness of eDNA sampling across different agricultural management types (conventional, biological, IP Suisse).
- To evaluate the reliability and consistency of eDNA metabarcoding for farm-scale biodiversity assessment.
Main Methods:
- Environmental DNA (eDNA) samples were collected using drones from rapeseed fields under three management types.
- Swabbed material was analyzed via 16S amplicon metabarcoding to determine hexapod community composition.
- Taxonomic assignment identified 75 taxa, including 33 species, across fields.
Main Results:
- eDNA swabbing replicates within fields showed consistent local biodiversity results.
- Variance in recovered diversity was significantly higher between fields than within fields.
- No significant differences in hexapod diversity were detected between conventional, biological, and IP Suisse management types, potentially due to landscape spillover effects.
Conclusions:
- Drone-based eDNA sampling provides a consistent method for local biodiversity assessment in agricultural fields.
- The developed methodology can contribute to a toolbox for farm-scale biodiversity monitoring.
- Further research is needed to refine eDNA methods and account for landscape-level influences on biodiversity.
