Continuous daily sampling of airborne eDNA detects all vertebrate species identified by camera traps

In the manuscript, we report on our study using airborne eDNA to monitor terrestrial vertebrate biodiversity and compare the results with detections made using camera traps. This is the first study that integrates results from air sampling in nature with an alternative biomonitoring approach.At three study sites in the Netherlands with different habitats, we employed three commercially available air samplers to collect vertebrate airborne eDNA continuously during a one-week period. A total of 154 vertebrate taxa was detected using airborne eDNA, including all of those (n = 16) that were identified using camera traps set up directly around the air samplers, and an additional 106 bird, 24 mammal and 4 fish and amphibian species. The Burkard spore trap, used routinely for pollen monitoring, showed the highest number of vertebrate species and only three occasions where a mammal species was detected using a camera remained undetected via eDNA. We also show that unique species were found at the three locations using airborne eDNA, indicative of the habitat in which they were living, providing proof that airborne eDNA results are to some degree localized. However, not all detections could be accounted for. We provide a comparison of camera traps and airborne eDNA and explain the advantages of each.