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).

摘要: In a recent paper, "Environmental DNA: What's behind the term? Clarifying terminology and recommendations for its future use in biomonitoring," Pawlowski et al. argue that term eDNA should be used to refer pool of DNA isolated from environmental samples, as opposed only extra-organismal macro-organisms. We agree with this view. However, we are concerned their proposed two-level specifying sampling environment targeted taxa is overly simplistic might hinder rather than improve clear communication about biomonitoring. This based on categories often difficult assign uninformative, it overlooks fundamental distinction within eDNA: type (organismal or extra-organismal) which ecological interpretations derived.