Researchers at Curtin University collected air samples as they drove more than 1,100 kilometres from Cottesloe to Cocklebiddy in Western Australia, taking samples about every 26 kilometres.
Analysis identified traces of 633 types of plants and animals, including native wildlife, insects and invasive species. The peer-reviewed study appeared in Molecular Ecology Resources on October 20.
The researchers cautioned that airborne DNA can travel or be carried by vehicles, so a detection does not prove that a species lives at that exact spot. They say the approach could complement field surveys and help identify places for closer study.
