A hierarchical model for eDNA fate and transport dynamics accommodating low concentration samples

Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling is an increasingly important tool for answering ecological questions and informing aquatic species management . Challenges of using eDNA include determining species source location(s) and accurately and precisely measuring low concentration eDNA samples, especially considering inhibitory compounds and multiple sources of ecological and measurement variability. These challenges must be overcome to optimize our use of modeling frameworks like the eDNA Integrating Transport and Hydrology (eDITH) model. To better understand eDNA fate and transport dynamics, our ability to estimate parameters within the eDITH framework, and our ability to  reliably quantify low concentration samples,  we developed a hierarchical model and used it to evaluate a fate and transport experiment. Our model addresses several low concentration challenges by modeling the number of copies in each PCR replicate as latent variables with a count distribution and conditioning detection an..., , , # A Hierarchical Model for eDNA Fate and Transport Dynamics Accommodating Low Concentration Samples

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8gtht76wc](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8gtht76wc)

## Description of the data and file structure

All files used for data analysis and resulting files (posteriors, etc.) are in the \"Data Analysis\" folder on Zenodo.

All files used for simulation analyses are in the \"Simulation\" folder on Zenodo, as are all simulation results (posteriors, etc.).

**Data Description**

The field data are located in greenhollow_techrep 12_4_2.csv on Dryad.

Metadata for greenhollow_techrep 12_4_2.csv is in green hollow metadata.csv on Dryad.

**Data Analysis**

1\. The data are in greenhollow_techrep 12_4_23.csv. See files to fit models for data processing.

2\. The nimble model files are \"Release NimModel X.R\", where X is one of the four models.

3\. Custom MCMC functions (inhibitor models only) are in \"State Samplers.R\".

4\. Test scripts to run 1 chain for each model are ...