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Can you list all the animals that live at the top of rainforest trees? You might have seen pictures of birds or monkeys living in the rainforest canopy. The tropical rainforest is very biodiverse. But researchers still do not know about everything that lives there.
We wanted to test a new way of finding out what lives in the rainforest canopy. We set up collectors to catch rainwater as it falls down from the trees. We studied environmental DNA from the water to look at biodiversity.
We found that hundreds of different organisms live in the rainforest canopy. There is also more biodiversity in areas that are not disturbed by humans. So, the environmental DNA gathered in rainwash is very important. This method can help people learn more about the rainforest ecosystem and protect its biodiversity.
Have you ever climbed a tree in your backyard? You would have seen some leaves and maybe some bugs, a bird, or a squirrel. But what else was hiding up there out of sight? All these organisms make up the biodiversity of your tree. A healthy ecosystem contains a wide range of living things. Biodiverse ecosystems provide important functions for humans. This could be providing food or clean water. When humans do things like cut down trees or pollute the air, it can harm biodiversity.
Tropical rainforests are special because they have high biodiversity. Unfortunately, many tropical rainforests are hard to get to. This makes it difficult for researchers to study them. This is especially true for the rainforest canopy. To climb up and explore this special place, people have needed to build tall towers or special walkways. Some researchers have even hired specialized climbers who use ropes – like jungle adventurers!
Scientists can use environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect species that are hard to find or measure. All living things have DNA, and they leave behind traces of it in their environment. This could be from skin, waste, or hair. We can then compare the DNA we collect to DNA databases. This can help us figure out what organisms the DNA came from. A bit like how detectives use DNA to identify who was at a crime scene!