Advanced airborne eDNA sampling allows robust spatiotemporal characterisation of vertebrate communities

Effective biodiversity survey methods are crucial for monitoring ecosystems threatened by climatic fluctuations and anthropogenic pressures. Here we advance methods for the collection of a novel source of biodiversity data - airborne environmental DNA (eDNA) - and investigate whether it yields habitat- and season-specific signatures of terrestrial vertebrate communities. Using portable and low budget samplers, we sampled airborne eDNA in three protected nature areas across Denmark and show that air filters with a large surface area and the widest range of particle retention sizes yield detections of higher numbers of vertebrate taxa and show higher community homogeneity across samples. Further, we show that increased airflow rate and dry storage of filters − 20°C yield detections of more diverse and consistent vertebrate communities. Overall, we demonstrate that airborne eDNA yields robust detections of spatio-temporal dynamics across terrestrial vertebrate classes, which can be adapted by conservation programs to monitor terrestrial biodiversity across the globe.