eDNA sampling presents several advantages for tiger monitoring:
- Cost-effectiveness: eDNA can detect a wide range of species more economically than camera trapping, allowing for broader coverage in Bhutan's vast landscapes.
- Preliminary distribution mapping: eDNA data can help create initial species distribution maps, including for elusive tigers, guiding the optimal placement of camera traps.
- Increased survey frequency: The cost efficiency of eDNA could enable annual surveys, providing more regular data on tiger range expansion or contraction.
- Comprehensive ecosystem assessment: Unlike camera traps, eDNA can identify a diverse array of organisms, including fish, amphibians, birds, invertebrates, plants, fungi, and bacteria, offering insights into the overall health of tiger habitats.
- Environmental change monitoring: Regular eDNA surveys can help track the impacts of habitat destruction and climate change on tiger landscapes.
By combining eDNA sampling with strategic camera trap placement, Bhutan can develop a more robust and efficient tiger monitoring program. This integrated approach not only enhances our understanding of tiger populations but also provides valuable data on the complex ecosystems that support these magnificent predators.
Bhutan’s biodiversity: The potential to perform a national survey
Perhaps the most exciting potential use of eDNA sampling is for a national survey of Bhutan’s biodiversity. Assessing all of Bhutan’s wildlife from every ecosystem—be it forest, freshwater, alpine, or even subterranean—is an essential step in planning effective conservation strategies. This type of survey would reveal the country’s biodiversity hotspots, areas where biodiversity is extremely concentrated and therefore protection is essential. These surveys could also measure the effects of changes on ecosystems from challenges like climate change, invasive species, or land use.
What’s next?: Study takeaways
All things considered, the study was a huge success. The researchers proved eDNA can produce reliable, quick, cost-efficient, and noninvasive biodiversity inventories. And in doing so, they completed Bhutan’s first and most comprehensive biodiversity inventory in record time.
And so, they had it: the secrets of the Himalayas. Slowly, they unraveled themselves, extracted from the river waters that carry the microscopic sluff from snow leopards, tigers, and musk deer; the degraded DNA of red pandas, white-bellied herons, and golden mahseer; the tiny, precious fragments that reveal the colorful world of biodiversity in Bhutan.
Now, the real work begins.