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Project properties |
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| Title | AquaFungi at Risk - effects of the fungicide Tebuconazole on aquatic, benthic, and fungal communities in stream lake mesocosms |
| Group | Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | open |
| Supervisor(s) | Gertie Arts WENR
Silvia Mohr Edwin Peeters (AEW) |
| Examiner(s) | Edwin Peeters |
| Contact info | Gerie Arts gertie.arts@wur.nl +31 317486550
edwin.peeters@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2022/08/01 |
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| Description | Background
Aquatic fungi (AF) play a key role in the decomposition of leaf litter in streams and their potential harm by fungicides can have severe cascading consequences for freshwater ecosystems. Several studies already indicated, that fungicides can alter the species composition of AF and negatively affect the food quality for higher organisms. Also negative effects of fungicides on root-associated fungi of macrophytes can influence macrophyte growth and nutrient uptake. So far, the EU fungicide risk assessment of plant protection products and many other environmental assessments are done without testing effects on AF. Therefore, we want to investigate, if the EU risk assessment of fungicides is sufficiently safe for AF species and communities. For that, it is planned to compare effects of the model fungicide tebuconazole on standard endpoints with established as well as new fungal endpoints and new other endpoints such growth of macrophytes with root-associated fungi. Experimental set-up The experiment will be conducted at the mesocosm facility of UBA located in Berlin (Germany,https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/topics/chemicals/chemical-research-at-uba/artificial-streampond-system) using eight connected stream-pond mesocosms to simulate a stream lake. The mesocosms will be established in May 2022 and two applications of tebuconazole (5 concentrations from 10-5000 μg/L) will take place beginning and end of September 2022. The experiment will run till 2023 in order to measure recovery effects. Apart from the standard endpoints (plankton, periphyton, and benthos abundance, emergence), we plan to investigate the fungal endpoints biomass (ergosterol), leaf mass loss, isolation of pure cultures as well as taxon specific qPCR and metabarcoding with total DNA as molecular approaches for community composition and abundance of selected species. How can you engage in the experiment? We look for an European student who want to join this experiment by investigating the effects of tebuconazole on macropyhtes with and without root-associated fungi in short-term in-situ experiments in the mesocosms. The study will comprise literature research, preparation and implementation of set-up and macropyhte experiments as well as data evaluation of macropyhte endpoints. Start experiment: beginning of August 2022 End Experiment: acute phase mid of October 2022 Location: Field station of German Federal Agency in Berlin (Germany, https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/the-uba/uba-offices/visit-us/how-to-reachuba?sprungmarke=marienfelde#marienfelde) Your Benefits: Being part of the EU Horizon project AQUACOSM-plus (https://www.aquacosm.eu/projectinformation/aquacosm-plus/), UBA can pay travel and accommodation costs as well as daily benefits for the applicant. For that, the applicant has to write a short project supposal with the help of the supervisor and (in case of a bachelor student) study adviser (more information see: https://ta.aquacosm.eu). Deadline of submission: 30.4.22 |
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