We have named and identified only a fraction of nature's diversity, and this is especially true for insects and fungi, both of which have millions of species still unknown to science.
At the same time, we are losing species and their habitats at an unprecedented rate, and researchers are racing against time to discover and conserve new species.
Researchers at Bangor University, working with colleagues at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland and writing in Nature, report that the key to a quick and cost-effective mapping of biodiversity has been right in front of our eyes, and yet invisible, all along- that is, in the air that surrounds us.
The air that surrounds us is a treasure trove- it is full of DNA from plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, mammals and other organisms, says Nerea Abrego of the University of Jyväskylä.
She led a study, with contribution from Professor Simon Creer of Bangor University.