= Environmental DNA
<Environmental DNA> is <DNA> recovered from an environmental sample, such as <water>, soil or sediment, rather than directly from a selected intact <organism>. It can reveal traces of <organisms> that were present or contributed material to the sample. Detection depends on shedding, persistence, transport and assay sensitivity, so a positive detection does not alone measure abundance or prove that a living individual is present at that exact location. <Environmental DNA glossary by the United States Geological Survey>[Environmental DNA]{ref}
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