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Project properties |
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| Title | Effect of warming on the importance of methane derived carbon for aquatic food webs. |
| Group | Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Paul Bodelier (NIOO-KNAW)
Sarian Kosten (RUN-NIOO) Edwin Peeters (AEW WUR) |
| Examiner(s) | M Scheffer |
| Contact info | s.kosten@science.ru.nl
edwin.peeters@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2014/03/01 |
| End date | 2014/12/31 |
| Description | In 2014 a large mesocosm experiment studying the effect of warming on shallow lakes will be initiated at the NIOO-KNAW in Wageningen. One of the things that will be looked into is the effect of warming on methane production and methane oxidation. Methane is an important greenhouse gas and a considerable part of the atmospheric methane is produced in aquatic systems. Warming tends to enhance methane production and methane oxidation and thereby abundance of both groups of microbes.Methane-derived carbon can be transferred to other components of aquatic food webs (e.g. bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton and macroinvertebrates) by ingestion of the methanotrophs or methanogens or by assimilating CO2 produced by methane oxidation. In this way, the otherwise unavailable CH4-C can form an as yet overlooked carbon source for the aquatic foodweb. However, how CH4-C transfer is affected by warming in combination with presence of algae or plants is not known.
In this research you will focus on the impact of warming on the importance of methane derived carbon for various components of the aquatic foodweb. You will sample various organism groups in the mesocosm, analyse them for stable isotope composition. Bbiogenic CH4-C has a naturally distinct isotopic composition and can therefore easily be traced back through the food web. Methanotrophic and methanogenic microbes will be quantified using QPCR (quantitative PCR methods) thereby giving you the opportunity to combine mass spectrometric (GC-IRMS) and molecular biological techniques. You will form part of a divers research team working together in the mesocosms on topics varying from greenhouse gas balances, phytoplankton and zooplankton composition and nutrient fluxes. Joining the team will thus provide you the opportunity to learn many different techniques and enhance your knowledge regarding a wide variety of “hot” research topics. The experiments will predominantly take place in Wageningen at the NIOO-KNAW and you should therefore be willing to commute. |
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