Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42741194›Full record

ReviewBioscience2026

The utility of herbarium collections for genetic monitoring.

Isaac Eckert, Lucas Eckert, Olivia Rahn, Cameron So, Simon Joly, Laura J Pollock

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Bioscience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Isaac EckertDepartment of Biology, Stewart Biology Building, 1205 Docteur Penfield, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4384-5041
Lucas EckertDepartment of Biology, Stewart Biology Building, 1205 Docteur Penfield, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3718-773X
Olivia RahnDepartment of Biology, Stewart Biology Building, 1205 Docteur Penfield, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1, Canada.
Cameron SoDepartment of Biology, Stewart Biology Building, 1205 Docteur Penfield, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-195X
Simon JolyQuébec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Stewart Biology Building S3/18, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0865-8267
Laura J PollockDepartment of Biology, Stewart Biology Building, 1205 Docteur Penfield, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6004-4027

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite growing evidence of widespread genetic responses to anthropogenic activity, data shortfalls constrain genetic monitoring efforts and preclude the widespread use of genetic data to inform conservation. For flora, one option is to leverage the wealth of genetic material preserved in Earth's vast herbarium collections, but the extent to which herbarium specimens can supply the population-level data required to monitor genetic change remains unclear. Using the Essential Biodiversity Variable (EBV) framework developed to monitor population-level genetic change, we show that digitized herbarium specimens could be used to quantify ∼162 K measures of genetic EBVs representing over 41 K species, 86% of regions on Earth, and spanning the past 250 years of global change. As such, we find that herbarium collections offer an invaluable source of historical genetic data, the mobilization of which could transform global efforts to monitor and conserve plant diversity.

Indexed as

essential biodiversity variablesgenetic compositiongenetic diversitygenetic monitoringherbarium collections

Identifiers

PMID42741194
PMCPMC13572878

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.