Effects of warming and pollutants on nutrient flows and lower trophic levels in freshwater communities: from microbes to Daphnia
We aim to unravel the combined impacts of climate change and pollution by pharmaceuticals a pesticides on freshwater ecosystems. Using lab and mesocosm experiments, we will study their effects on nutrient flows and microbial, phyto- and zooplankton communities across multiple temporal scales.
Freshwater ecosystems face multiple human-induced environmental stressors including climate warming and chemical pollution. We do not have enough evidence to fully understand and predict community responses to these combined stressors. Using laboratory and mesocosm experiments and state-of-the-art analyses of micropollutants and microbial communities, we will focus on the effects of warming and environmentally relevant concentrations of pharmaceutically active compounds and pesticides on nutrient flows and lower trophic levels from microbes to zooplankton in small standing waters. We will investigate the effects of warming and pollution on Daphnia individuals from multiple populations and on simple trophic chain dynamics, and study long-term effects of pollutants and warming on nutrient cycling and pelagic food webs from microbial communities to zooplankton. We will also quantify if warming alters the emergence of antimicrobial resistance genes in freshwater habitats contaminated with antibiotics.
