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Applications of Environmental DNA and RNA in Ecology

Call for Papers!

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In the face of global change, greater knowledge of the planet's past and present ecosystems is more important than ever to manage biodiversity loss and set conservation priorities. A deeper understanding is also necessary to manage ecosystem services and prevent the spread of harmful pathogens worldwide. Fueled by recent technological advances, DNA and RNA from environmental samples (eDNA/eRNA) are increasingly being used to help meet this need for knowledge. The application of eDNA/eRNA methods helps us evaluate community composition and answer various questions regarding biotic interactions within and between ecosystems. Furthermore, eDNA/eRNA approaches can provide insights into direct and indirect biotic interactions as well as various evolutionary phenomena.

Given the actual and potential impacts of eDNA and eRNA technology on the field of ecology, BMC Ecology and Evolution has launched this collection to bring together research using eDNA/eRNA approaches to:

We also encourage submissions that address technological and economic challenges in the application of eDNA and eRNA technology in ecology and conservation biology, as well as articles that indicate future directions.

Articles under consideration for publication within the collection will be assessed according to the standard BMC Ecology and Evolution editorial criteria and will undergo the journal's standard peer-review process overseen by Editorial Board Member Associate Professor Luke Jacobus (Indiana University, USA), Associate Professor Cyprian Katongo (University of Zambia) and Associate Professor Luisa Orsini (University of Birmingham, UK). If accepted for publication, an article processing charge applies (with standard waiver policy).

The collection is now closed

  1. Diatoms are present in all waters and are highly sensitive to pollution gradients. Therefore, they are ideal bioindicators for water quality assessment. Current indices used in these applications are based on ...

    Authors: Ozan Çiftçi, Cornelis A. M. Wagemaker, Adrienne Mertens, Peter van Bodegom, Walter Pirovano and Barbara Gravendeel
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2023 23:4
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  2. Anadromous rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) have experienced a large range reduction in recent decades and the status of remnant spawning populations is poorly known in Maine, where these fish have significant ecol...

    Authors: Vaughn Holmes, Jacob Aman, Geneva York and Michael T. Kinnison
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2022 22:121
    Content type: Research Published on:

    The Correction to this article has been published in BMC Ecology and Evolution 2023 23:22

  3. Approximately 50% of freshwater turtles worldwide are currently threatened by habitat loss, rural development and altered stream flows. Paradoxically, reptiles are understudied organisms, with many species lac...

    Authors: Cecilia Villacorta-Rath, Thomas Espinoza, Bernie Cockayne, Jason Schaffer and Damien Burrows
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2022 22:57
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Intense conversion of tropical forests into agricultural systems contributes to habitat loss and the decline of ecosystem functions. Plant-pollinator interactions buffer the process of forest fragmentation, en...

    Authors: Carina Carneiro de Melo Moura, Christina A. Setyaningsih, Kevin Li, Miryam Sarah Merk, Sonja Schulze, Rika Raffiudin, Ingo Grass, Hermann Behling, Teja Tscharntke, Catrin Westphal and Oliver Gailing
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2022 22:51
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. Relative to temperate regions, little is known about bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Sonoran Desert portion of their range, in part due to the difficulty of sampling an elusive carnivore in harsh desert environments....

    Authors: John Draper, Torrey Rodgers and Julie K. Young
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2022 22:25
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  7. Habitat disturbance affects the biology and health of animals globally. Understanding the factors that contribute to the differential responses of animals to habitat disturbance is critical for conservation. T...

    Authors: Nicolette McManus, Sheila M. Holmes, Edward E. Louis Jr., Steig E. Johnson, Andrea L. Baden and Katherine R. Amato
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2021 21:222
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  8. Airborne environmental DNA (eDNA) research is an emerging field that focuses on the detection of species from their genetic remnants in the air. The majority of studies into airborne eDNA of plants has until n...

    Authors: Mark D. Johnson, Mohamed Fokar, Robert D. Cox and Matthew A. Barnes
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2021 21:218
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  9. To determine the presence and abundance of an aquatic species in large waterbodies, especially when populations are at low densities, is highly challenging for conservation biologists. Environmental DNA (eDNA)...

    Authors: Dan Yu, Zhongyuan Shen, Tao Chang, Sha Li and Huanzhang Liu
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2021 21:216
    Content type: Research Published on:

  10. Sharks and rays are some of the most threatened marine taxa due to the high levels of bycatch and significant demand for meat and fin-related products in many Asian communities. At least 25% of shark and ray s...

    Authors: Yin Cheong Aden Ip, Jia Jin Marc Chang, Kelvin K. P. Lim, Zeehan Jaafar, Benjamin J. Wainwright and Danwei Huang
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2021 21:166
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  11. Dinoflagellates are a ubiquitous and ecologically important component of marine phytoplankton communities, with particularly notable species including those associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs) and thos...

    Authors: Tahnee Manning, Arjun Venkatesh Thilagaraj, Dmitri Mouradov, Richard Piola, Clare Grandison, Matthew Gordon, Jeff Shimeta and Aidyn Mouradov
    Citation: BMC Ecology and Evolution 2021 21:27
    Content type: Research article Published on: