Metabarcoding Soil
Using environmental DNA to improve biodiversity monitoring in restored landscapes.
Understanding how biodiversity responds to restoration is crucial for measuring progress, yet many species, particularly those underground or microscopic, remain overlooked. Traditional biodiversity surveys often miss fungi, bacteria and invertebrates, despite their essential roles in nutrient cycling, soil structure and ecosystem recovery.
DNA metabarcoding provides a way to fill these knowledge gaps. By analysing genetic material found in soil and water samples, researchers can detect a wide range of species from across the tree of life. As these technologies develop, restoration teams face challenges in managing and interpreting large, complex datasets.
This project explores how DNA metabarcoding can be applied to restoration monitoring, helping practitioners access and use this tool for more complete biodiversity assessments.
What the project will do
Soil samples are being collected from two restoration landscapes: Cairngorms Connect in Scotland and the Greater Côa Valley in Portugal. These samples will be analysed to assess below-ground biodiversity across different stages of restoration, focusing on fungi, bacteria and invertebrates that influence soil health and ecosystem recovery.
Alongside this fieldwork, the team will review and test methods for integrating complex biodiversity data from multiple sources, developing accessible protocols to help restoration teams apply metabarcoding results in practice. The project will produce open-access datasets and online resources, including a recorded webinar and tutorials, to share findings with the wider restoration community.
By combining data from two contrasting European landscapes, the study will demonstrate how metabarcoding can support more informed and evidence-based restoration decisions.
Digging deeper into soil biodiversity in Portugal and Scotland
Fighting Fire with Nature: How Europe’s Restoration Projects are Tackling Wildfires
Landscape Fires and Drivers in a Restoration Context
