Project Details
Projekt
Effects of antimicrobial compounds on aquatic communities via bottom-up regulation (AQUA-CO-REG)
Subject Area
Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Limnology, Urban Water Management, Water Chemistry, Integrated Water Resources Management
Term
since 2015
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 270782133
The breakdown of allochthonous coarse particulate organic matter like leaf litter is a fundamental function in freshwater ecosystems providing energy for local but also downstream communities. The predecessor project AQUA-REG has used antimicrobial substances to study bottom-up effect pathways with a focus on the leaf microorganismic and detritivore shredder level. Q-RT-PCR protocols for aquatic hyphomycetes were developed. AQUA-REG results were published in seven peer-reviewed papers, further papers are under preparation. The present proposal aims to take the AQUA-REG approach to the level of model macroinvertebrate communities, i.e. including invertebrate predators. To this end, a newly designed stream microcosm system fed continuously by water from a near-natural headwater stream will be employed. Using the previously established antimicrobials as standardized chemical stressors, AQUA-CO-REG exposes model communities via contaminated leaf material. Besides the mainly quantitative (e.g. amount of energy) linkages already considered e.g. in the dynamic energy budget theory, the “quality of the energy” in the sense of, for instance, non-essential and essential fatty acid composition of food, will be further considered in AQUA-CO-REG from a food web perspective. Stable-isotope analysis and Q-RT-PCR-based hyphomycete quantifications will complement the suite of endpoints looked at. Considering food quality for bottom-up directed effect pathways induced by antimicrobials in aquatic food webs, the proposed project allows to determine the magnitude of effects as well as to understand the mechanisms relevant for these effects at the community level, such as feeding plasticity, respiration, stress tolerance or predator avoidance.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
