Scheme of the metadata annotation workflow.

<p>Shaded boxes indicate procedures performed and/or saved over the PlutoF workbench (<a href="http://plutof.ut.ee/" target="_blank">http://plutof.ut.ee/</a>).</p

Screenshot of the UNITE search page (http://unite.ut.ee/).

<p>This search tool allows queries of sequences based on taxonomic information and associated metadata.</p

Quality and metadata annotations of fungal ITS sequences by mycorrhiza types.

1<p>all sequences belonging to EcM lineages regardless of isolation source;</p>2<p>all sequences belonging to Glomeromycota, except <i>Geosiphon;</i></p>3<p>all sequences derived from roots (with or without a culturing step) of the respective host plants;</p>4<p>Chimeric sequences consist of two or more fragments of fungal sequences and are therefore not assigned below the kingdom level;</p>5<p>nd, not determined;</p>6<p>Annotated–sum of original annotations and metadata provided in the course of this study;</p>7<p>formation of coils in ErM, formation of pelotons, stimulation of germination or development in OM.</p

Contribution of different isolation sources to the number of INSD sequences in the most common ectomycorrhizal fungal lineages.

<p>Contribution of different isolation sources to the number of INSD sequences in the most common ectomycorrhizal fungal lineages.</p

Data from: <b>Reduced tillage intensity does not increase arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in long-term experiments across Europe</b>All data used in the analyses of this manuscript is presented

All data used in the analyses of this manuscript is presented. Metadata and corresponding virtual taxon table.</p

DataSheet_1_Metabarcoding of soil environmental DNA to estimate plant diversity globally.pdf

IntroductionTraditional approaches to collecting large-scale biodiversity data pose huge logistical and technical challenges. We aimed to assess how a comparatively simple method based on sequencing environmental DNA (eDNA) characterises global variation in plant diversity and community composition compared with data derived from traditional plant inventory methods.MethodsWe sequenced a short fragment (P6 loop) of the chloroplast trnL intron from from 325 globally distributed soil samples and compared estimates of diversity and composition with those derived from traditional sources based on empirical (GBIF) or extrapolated plant distribution and diversity data.ResultsLarge-scale plant diversity and community composition patterns revealed by sequencing eDNA were broadly in accordance with those derived from traditional sources. The success of the eDNA taxonomy assignment, and the overlap of taxon lists between eDNA and GBIF, was greatest at moderate to high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. On average, around half (mean: 51.5% SD 17.6) of local GBIF records were represented in eDNA databases at the species level, depending on the geographic region.DiscussioneDNA trnL gene sequencing data accurately represent global patterns in plant diversity and composition and thus can provide a basis for large-scale vegetation studies. Important experimental considerations for plant eDNA studies include using a sampling volume and design to maximise the number of taxa detected and optimising the sequencing depth. However, increasing the coverage of reference sequence databases would yield the most significant improvements in the accuracy of taxonomic assignments made using the P6 loop of the trnL region.</p