Research and analysis

Understanding ecosystem function and resilience using DNA - summary

Published 11 August 2021

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1. Environment Agency Chief Scientist’s Group research summary

This report explores opportunities for applying advances in DNA and RNA technologies to improve understanding of ecosystem function and resilience.

1.1 Background

Society relies on healthy ecosystems for food, clean water, raw material and recreation. Information on those ecosystems, such as the functioning of organisms within them and their response to environmental pressures, is needed to protect and restore ecosystems to good health. Current understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is limited by available methods. DNA technologies that identify micro-organisms, animals and plants from their genetic information can reveal much about the health of ecosystems and have considerable potential to fill gaps in understanding.

1.2 Approach

For this report we commissioned a series of papers to explore the potential of DNA-based technology to improve our understanding of ecosystem function and resilience.

1.3 Findings

The papers demonstrate widespread application of DNA-based technology for monitoring species, populations and communities of organisms. They show the technology can improve detection of invasive species and vulnerable species in a non-harmful way and can monitor important indicators of environmental change, such as microorganisms, that do not typically feature in many monitoring programmes. The papers agree that greater use of DNA technology-based monitoring methods will improve understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem function in a cost effective way. Recommendations for realising the potential of DNA technology are made.

  1. Establish resource to develop and refine DNA methods. Availability of well validated and standardised methods will improve confidence in their use.
  2. Continue, and improve, collaboration and co-design of projects and initiatives to build skills andcapacity across decision-making organisations and help set clear research directions.
  3. Develop case studies across different systems to address technical challenges, improve methods for data analysis and test the use of citizen science in sampling campaigns.
  4. Populate DNA reference databases for UK organisms that are required in biomonitoring programmes toensure an organism’s identity can be assigned correctly from its DNA.
  5. Embrace options for biobanking facilities to enable calibration against future technologicaldevelopments. This will “future-proof” methods and reanalysis of samples.

1.4 Conclusion

Developing and refining DNA-based methods will accelerate their implementation into biomonitoring programmes and could transform the way we manage ecosystems. This potential will only be achieved with committed investment.

1.5 Project information

This summary relates to information from project SC190006, reported in detail in the following output:

Report: SC190006/R

Title: Understanding ecosystem function and resilience using DNA

Project manager: Kerry Walsh, Chief Scientist’s Group

This project was delivered by the Environment Agency’s Chief Scientist’s Group, which provides scientific knowledge, tools and techniques to help protect and manage the environment as effectively as possible.

Enquiries: [email protected]

© Environment Agency

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