The Green Atlas of Denmark: Exploring Biodiversity Past and Present
Name of applicant
Sophie Lund Rasmussen
Title
Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution
University of Oxford
Amount
DKK 1,847,711
Year
2024
Type of grant
Reintegration Fellowships
What?
This project will examine the ancient and current biodiversity in Denmark, and thereby lay the groundwork for a new framework for studying biodiversity loss. Research broadly agrees that we are witnessing the 6th mass extinction. It is essential to establish effective and non-invasive methods to describe biodiversity, and use this knowledge to structure and optimise conservation initiatives.
Why?
How can science confidently claim that that biodiversity is disappearing when we have little to no basis for historic comparison dating back more than a few hundred years? Consequently, there is no secure point of reference when assessing the loss of biodiversity. There is a need for a solid framework for estimating biodiversity loss through time to properly document the very worrying situation.
How?
Using state-of-the-art methods for DNA analyses: aDNA, environmental DNA (eDNA) and eDNA sampled from air (airDNA), this project will create a “biodiversity stratigraphy”, a timeline of biodiversity, to describe the occurrence of species at locations during historic periods, allowing for a solid documentation of potential biodiversity loss in comparison with modern-day samples from the same sites.