Communications Biology (May 2021)

Environmental DNA provides higher resolution assessment of riverine biodiversity and ecosystem function via spatio-temporal nestedness and turnover partitioning

  • Mathew Seymour,
  • François K. Edwards,
  • Bernard J. Cosby,
  • Iliana Bista,
  • Peter M. Scarlett,
  • Francesca L. Brailsford,
  • Helen C. Glanville,
  • Mark de Bruyn,
  • Gary R. Carvalho,
  • Simon Creer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02031-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Mathew Seymour et al. compare eDNA with traditional biodiversity metrics to assess the functional diversity of a river basin in Wales over space and time and variable land use. Their results show that eDNA can generate greater biodiversity resolution and reliably detect spatio-temporal changes in community and functional diversity.