Trade-offs between reducing complex terminology and producing accurate interpretations from environmental DNA : Comment on “Environmental DNA: What's behind the term?” by Pawlowski et al., (2020)
(2021) In Molecular Ecology 30(19). p.4601-4605- Abstract
In a recent paper, “Environmental DNA: What's behind the term? Clarifying the terminology and recommendations for its future use in biomonitoring,” Pawlowski et al. argue that the term eDNA should be used to refer to the pool of DNA isolated from environmental samples, as opposed to only extra-organismal DNA from macro-organisms. We agree with this view. However, we are concerned that their proposed two-level terminology specifying sampling environment and targeted taxa is overly simplistic and might hinder rather than improve clear communication about environmental DNA and its use in biomonitoring. This terminology is based on categories that are often difficult to assign and uninformative, and it overlooks a fundamental distinction... (More)
In a recent paper, “Environmental DNA: What's behind the term? Clarifying the terminology and recommendations for its future use in biomonitoring,” Pawlowski et al. argue that the term eDNA should be used to refer to the pool of DNA isolated from environmental samples, as opposed to only extra-organismal DNA from macro-organisms. We agree with this view. However, we are concerned that their proposed two-level terminology specifying sampling environment and targeted taxa is overly simplistic and might hinder rather than improve clear communication about environmental DNA and its use in biomonitoring. This terminology is based on categories that are often difficult to assign and uninformative, and it overlooks a fundamental distinction within eDNA: the type of DNA (organismal or extra-organismal) from which ecological interpretations are derived.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- clear terminology, ecology of eDNA, extra-organismal DNA, organismal DNA
- in
- Molecular Ecology
- volume
- 30
- issue
- 19
- pages
- 4601 - 4605
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85106407350
- pmid:34036646
- ISSN
- 0962-1083
- DOI
- 10.1111/mec.15942
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c70448dc-7f8a-44a5-9a2a-9d1f777c1d9d
- date added to LUP
- 2021-06-14 13:02:31
- date last changed
- 2024-06-30 15:56:51
@misc{c70448dc-7f8a-44a5-9a2a-9d1f777c1d9d,
abstract = {{<p>In a recent paper, “Environmental DNA: What's behind the term? Clarifying the terminology and recommendations for its future use in biomonitoring,” Pawlowski et al. argue that the term eDNA should be used to refer to the pool of DNA isolated from environmental samples, as opposed to only extra-organismal DNA from macro-organisms. We agree with this view. However, we are concerned that their proposed two-level terminology specifying sampling environment and targeted taxa is overly simplistic and might hinder rather than improve clear communication about environmental DNA and its use in biomonitoring. This terminology is based on categories that are often difficult to assign and uninformative, and it overlooks a fundamental distinction within eDNA: the type of DNA (organismal or extra-organismal) from which ecological interpretations are derived.</p>}},
author = {{Rodriguez-Ezpeleta, Naiara and Morissette, Olivier and Bean, Colin W. and Manu, Shivakumara and Banerjee, Pritam and Lacoursière-Roussel, Anaïs and Beng, Kingsly C. and Alter, S. Elizabeth and Roger, Fabian and Holman, Luke E. and Stewart, Kathryn A. and Monaghan, Michael T. and Mauvisseau, Quentin and Mirimin, Luca and Wangensteen, Owen S. and Antognazza, Caterina M. and Helyar, Sarah J. and de Boer, Hugo and Monchamp, Marie Eve and Nijland, Reindert and Abbott, Cathryn L. and Doi, Hideyuki and Barnes, Matthew A. and Leray, Matthieu and Hablützel, Pascal I. and Deiner, Kristy}},
issn = {{0962-1083}},
keywords = {{clear terminology; ecology of eDNA; extra-organismal DNA; organismal DNA}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{19}},
pages = {{4601--4605}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Molecular Ecology}},
title = {{Trade-offs between reducing complex terminology and producing accurate interpretations from environmental DNA : Comment on “Environmental DNA: What's behind the term?” by Pawlowski et al., (2020)}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.15942}},
doi = {{10.1111/mec.15942}},
volume = {{30}},
year = {{2021}},
}