Scientists have successfully tested a DNA ‘time machine’ concept to examine a century of environmental changes in a freshwater lake. This innovative approach utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) applied to DNA-based biodiversity, climate variables, and pollution data. The results could assist regulators in protecting and potentially improving existing biodiversity levels on the planet.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham, in collaboration with Goethe University in Frankfurt, used sediment from the bottom of a lake in Denmark to create a 100-year-old library of biodiversity, chemical pollution, and climate change levels. This lake has a well-documented history of shifts in water quality, making it an ideal natural experiment for testing the ‘biodiversity time machine.’
The findings, published in eLife, show that the sediment contains a continuous record of biological and environmental signals that have changed over time. Using environmental DNA, or genetic material left behind by plants, animals, and bacteria, the team was able to reconstruct a picture of the freshwater community.
By employing AI, the researchers analyzed this information alongside climate and pollution data to identify the factors contributing to the historic loss of species in the lake.
Luisa Orsini, the principal investigator and Professor of Evolutionary Systems Biology and Environmental Omics at the University of Birmingham, explained, “We took a sediment core from the bottom of the lake and used biological data within that sediment like a time machine — looking back in time to build a detailed picture of biodiversity over the last century at yearly resolution. By analyzing biological data with climate change data and pollution levels, we can identify the factors having the biggest impact on biodiversity.”
The study found that pollutants such as insecticides and fungicides, combined with increases in minimum temperature, were the main drivers of biodiversity loss. However, in the last 20 years, the lake has shown signs of recovery as water quality improved due to a decline in agricultural land use around the lake.
Although overall biodiversity has increased, the communities are not the same as they were in the past. This is concerning as different species provide different ecosystem services, and their inability to return to specific sites hinders the reinstatement of these services.
Niamh Eastwood, the lead author and PhD student at the University of Birmingham, emphasized that the biodiversity loss caused by pollution and warming water temperatures may be irreversible. She stated, “The species found in the lake 100 years ago that have been lost will not all be able to return. It is not possible to restore the lake to its original pristine state, even though the lake is recovering. This research shows that if we fail to protect biodiversity, much of it could be lost forever.”
Dr. Jiarui Zhou, co-lead author and Assistant Professor in Environmental Bioinformatics at the University of Birmingham, highlighted the value of AI-based approaches in predicting biodiversity loss based on historic data. As new data becomes available, more sophisticated AI models can enhance our understanding of the causes of biodiversity loss.
The researchers plan to expand their study to other lakes in England and Wales in order to validate their findings on pollution and climate change’s impacts on lake biodiversity.
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- Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
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