“Forestry England (FE) is gathering data on the variety of wildlife in some of its 1,500 woodlands at an unprecedented pace and level of detail.

The body is harvesting environmental DNA – genetic material shed by organisms in an ecosystem – from soil, water and air samples to build a picture of the range of species across 21 forests. 

Results from four months of sampling have revealed more than 5,000 unique species of fungi – more than have been found in the last century using traditional sampling methods – alongside 1,000 species of invertebrates.

The data will create a new biodiversity baseline enabling FE to monitor the success of its conservation work.

Meanwhile, bioacoustic listening devices have been installed in four wild areas in Somerset, Dorset, North Yorkshire and Northumberland. The technology is being used to track bumblebee activity by listening to the sound of their wings in flight.”

From Positive News.