7c6cbb74-96ad-4269-bad7-51025963ef23 English ISO/IEC 8859-1 (also known as Latin 1) dataset dataset NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg Lancaster LA1 4AP UK info@eidc.ac.uk https://eidc.ac.uk/ EIDC website The Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC) is the UK's national data centre for terrestrial and freshwater sciences. information pointOfContact 2025-11-13T16:22:29 UK GEMINI 2.3 WGS 84 DNA metabarcoding, plant community and soil environmental data from a 15-month DNA application experiment in southern Iceland, June 2023-October 2024 2025-09-12 publication https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/7c6cbb74-96ad-4269-bad7-51025963ef23 10.5285/7c6cbb74-96ad-4269-bad7-51025963ef23 doi: Cutler, N., Huang, D.Y., Dugmore, A., Streeter, R. (2025). DNA metabarcoding, plant community and soil environmental data from a 15-month DNA application experiment in southern Iceland, June 2023-October 2024. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre 10.5285/7c6cbb74-96ad-4269-bad7-51025963ef23 The datasets originate from a field experiment designed to assess the mobility and longevity of DNA in a soil environment. We applied radish DNA - in the form of leaves (solid treatment) and PCR product (liquid treatment) to experimental plots in southern Iceland. We sampled the soil from different depths under the plots over a period of 15 months, looking for traces of radish DNA. The dataset encompasses 1) DNA metabarcoding data (plants) derived from soil samples; 2) a survey of extant plant communities; 3) a record of near-surface soil temperatures for the duration of the experiment; and 4) data quantifying the decomposition of radish leaves applied to the plots. The radish DNA was applied to six experimental plots in June 2023; soil samples were collected from below the plots in May 2024 (M24) and October 2024 (O24). DNA extraction and PCR was conducted by Dr Doreen Huang (University of Southampton). DNA from the soil samples was sequenced by a commercial third party (Novogene). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/7c6cbb74-96ad-4269-bad7-51025963ef23 Nick Cutler Newcastle University nick.cutler@newcastle.ac.uk pointOfContact Cutler, N. Newcastle University nick.cutler@newcastle.ac.uk https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1746-7769 ORCID record ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. information author Huang, D.Y. University of Southampton dyt.huang@soton.ac.uk https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4096-0706 ORCID record ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. information author Dugmore, A. University of Edinburgh andrew.dugmore@ed.ac.uk https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6556-717X ORCID record ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. information author Streeter, R. University of St Andrews rts3@st-andrews.ac.uk https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2261-4540 ORCID record ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. information author Newcastle University EMAIL NOT PROVIDED owner NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre info@eidc.ac.uk custodian NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre info@eidc.ac.uk publisher Soil theme GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 publication Environmental survey Biodiversity Soil Iceland Environmental DNA Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction Decomposition experiment Soil moisture otherRestrictions no limitations otherRestrictions This resource is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence otherRestrictions If you reuse this data, you should cite: Cutler, N., Huang, D.Y., Dugmore, A., Streeter, R. (2025). DNA metabarcoding, plant community and soil environmental data from a 15-month DNA application experiment in southern Iceland, June 2023-October 2024. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre https://doi.org/10.5285/7c6cbb74-96ad-4269-bad7-51025963ef23 textTable English utf8 biota 2023-06-01 2024-10-31 -20.006 -19.955 63.599 63.619 Comma-separated values (CSV) NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre info@eidc.ac.uk distributor https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/sd/7c6cbb74-96ad-4269-bad7-51025963ef23.zip Supporting information Supporting information available to assist in re-use of this dataset information https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/data/7c6cbb74-96ad-4269-bad7-51025963ef23 Download the data Download a copy of this data download dataset dataset Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 Field data: The radish DNA was applied to six experimental plots in June 2023 as radish leaves and liquid PCR product. Replicate soil samples were collected from depths of 5 cm and 20 cm below the plots in October 2023 and May 2024. Samples were collected from the soil surface in September 2024, after which the experiment was discontinued. Soil temperatures were recorded for 332 days at hourly intervals using an iButton soil temperature logger. The decomposition of the radish leaves was calculated by weighing the mesh bags carrying the leaves at the beginning and end of the experiment. Plant community composition was evaluated by a visual estimate of proportional cover (Domin scale) within each plot. Laboratory analysis: DNA was extracted using DNeasy PowerSoil Pro Kit (QIAGEN). Plant DNA was amplified in six replicate PCRs. After PCR, the samples and PCR negatives were pooled and purified with QIAquick PCR purification kit (QIAGEN). PCR-free library preparation was carried out by a commercial DNA sequencing company (Novogene) on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 PE250 platform.