eDNA (Environmental DNA)
Definition
DNA shed by organisms into the surrounding environment through skin cells, mucus, faeces, urine, or decomposition. Collected from water, soil, air, or surface swabs and analysed to detect species presence without capturing individuals.
- Full name
- Environmental DNA
- Shed via
- Skin cells, mucus, faeces, urine, decomposition
- Sample sources
- Water, soil, air, surface swabs
- Key advantage
- Detects species presence without capturing individuals
Common questions
How is eDNA applied in a forensic investigation rather than an ecological survey?+
It can establish whether a suspect, victim, or vehicle was present at a location by detecting shed genetic material in soil or water samples, or can confirm a body was submerged in a particular water source, without requiring recovery of intact cells or tissue.
What limits the evidential weight of an eDNA detection?+
eDNA can persist and disperse in the environment for a variable period, so a positive detection establishes presence at some point but does not by itself fix a precise time, and contamination between samples is a recognised risk that protocols must control for.
Related terms
- Acoustic Monitoring
- Continuous recording of environmental sound to detect specific sound events, such as gunshots, chainsaws, or vehicle engines, that indicate illegal activity. Machine-learning...
- Camera-Trap AI
- Machine-learning models trained on labelled camera-trap images to classify species, individual animals (by spot or stripe patterns), and human activities. Can process...
- Change Detection
- A remote sensing technique that compares satellite or aerial images from different dates to identify areas where land cover has changed. Used...
- Metabarcoding
- Sequencing a mixture of DNA from many organisms simultaneously and using bioinformatics to assign each read to a taxon. For plant eDNA,...
- SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool)
- Open-source software for recording, analysing, and reporting on ranger patrol activity and wildlife observations. Allows adaptive management of patrol effort based on...