Moose, caribou, deer … they’ve roamed the forests for thousands of years, shaping ecosystems as much as human cultures have. But how can we confirm the presence of these animals without observing, capturing or disturbing them? The answer sometimes lies in the invisible: fragments of DNA left in the snow, dust or carried by insects.

This approach, known as environmental DNA (eDNA), can transform how wildlife is monitored, provided the methods are adapted to the realities of their territories.

In Canada, biodiversity protection is under increasing pressure from resource exploitation and climate change. White-tailed deer, for example, are moving north, encroaching on moose and caribou habitats.

These deer can carry diseases that put entire deer populations at risk. The spread of the species is closely monitored, but this monitoring relies on information that is sometimes difficult to obtain.

Read more: Milder winters, more parasites: Are moose at risk from winter ticks?

The same is true for monitoring rare and elusive species, such as the wolverine, whose presence in several regions of northern Québec is difficult to confirm due to a lack of tangible data.

To guide the decisions necessary to protect biodiversity, all stakeholders —governments, conservation organizations, industry and Indigenous Peoples — need reliable, comparable data that is produced in a socially responsible manner. But traditional monitoring tools, like direct observation, capture, GPS collars or camera traps, are often costly, intrusive or difficult to deploy in remote areas.

Environmental DNA: Promises, limitations

Environmental DNA is based on a simple yet powerful principle: all living organisms release fragments of their cells containing DNA into their environment, particularly through their feces, urine,........

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