Outbreaks of foodborne illness linked to consumptions of fresh, or partially processed, agricultural products are a growing concern in industrialized and developing countries. The incidence of human pathogens on fresh fruits and vegetables is often related to the use of recycled wastewaster in surface irrigation as well as high amounts of animal manure in agricultural management practice. Thereby the soil inhabiting fauna plays an important role in the transport and dissemination of microorganisms. The focus of the proposed project is on nematodes, well known vectors for bacteria and viruses in soil. The major goals are to: (1) survey human pathogens in soil and on/in free-living and plant parasitic nematodes in agriculture field sites irrigated with recycled wastewater or fertilized with fresh animal manure in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, (2) assess the function of nematodes as vectors in transmitting bacteria from microbial hot spots to plants, and (3) localize bacteria on and/or within the nematode and identify bacterial factors required for survival in the nematode host. Understanding the mechanisms involved in dissemination of human pathogens by nematodes will enhance the ability to develop practical means to minimize contamination of fresh produce and increase safety in food production.
Most soils develop distinct soil architecture during pedogenesis and soil organic carbon (SOC) is sequestered within a hierarchical system of mineral-organic associations and aggregates. Permafrost soils store large amounts of carbon due to their permanently frozen subsoil and a lack of oxygen in the active layer, but they lack complex soil structure. With permafrost thaw more oxidative conditions and increasing soil temperature presumably enhance the build-up of more complex units of soil architecture and may counterbalance, at least partly, SOC mineralization. We aim to explore the development of mineral-organic associations and aggregates under different permafrost impact with respect to SOC stabilization. This information will be linked to environmental control factors relevant for SOC turnover at the pedon and stand scale to bridge processes occurring at the aggregate scale to larger spatial dimensions. We will combine in situ spectroscopic techniques with fractionation approaches and identify mechanisms relevant for SOC turnover at different scales by multivariate statistics and variogram analyses. From this we expect a deeper knowledge about soil architecture formation in the transition of permafrost soils to terrestrial soils and a scale-spanning mechanistic understanding of SOC cycling in permafrost regions.
Cydia pomonella granulovirus (CpGV, Baculoviridae) is one of the most important agents for the control of codling moth (CM, Cydia pomonella, L.) in both biological and integrated pest management. The rapid emergence of resistance against CpGV-M, which was observed in about 40 European CM field populations from 2003 on, could be traced back to a single, dominant, sex-linked gene. Since then, resistance management has been based on mixtures of new CpGV isolates (CpGV-I12, -S), which are able to overcome this resistance. Recently, resistance even to these novel isolates was observed in CM field populations. This resistance does not follow the described dominant, sex-linked inheritance trait. At the same time, another isolate CpGV-V15 was identified showing high virulence against these resistant populations. To elucidate this novel resistance mechanism and to identify the resistance gene(s) involved, we propose a comprehensive analysis of this resistance on the cellular and genomic level of codling moth. Because of the lack of previous knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of virus resistance in insects, several different and complementary approaches will be pursued. This study will not only give an in-depth insight into the genetic possibilities for development of baculovirus resistance in CM field populations and how the virus overcomes it, but can also serve as an important model for other baculovirus-host interaction systems.
The decomposition of terrestrial organic material such as leaf litter represents a fundamental ecosystem function in streams that delivers energy for local and downstream food webs. Although agriculture dominates most regions in Europe and fungicides are applied widely, effects of currently used fungicides on the aquatic decomposer community and consequently the leaf decomposition rate are largely unknown. Also potential compensation of such hypothesised adverse effects due to nutrients or higher average water temperatures associated with climate change are not considered. Moreover, climate change is predicted to alter the community of aquatic decomposers and an open question is, whether this alteration impacts the leaf decomposition rate. The current projects follows a tripartite design to answer these research questions. Firstly, a field study in a vine growing region where fungicides are applied in large amounts will be conducted to whether there is a dose-response relationship between the exposure to fungicides and the leaf decomposition rate. Secondly, experiments in artificial streams with field communities will be carried out to assess potential compensatory mechanisms of nutrients and temperature for effects of fungicides. Thirdly, field experiments with communities exhibiting a gradient of taxa sensitive to climate change will be used to investigate potential climate-related effects on the leaf decomposition rate.
Mikroplastik wird zwischen Land- und Wasseroberflächen und der Atmosphäre ausgetauscht und kann luftgetragen über weite Strecken transportiert werden, bevor die Mikroplastikpartikel wieder aus der Atmosphäre entfernt und abgelagert werden. Obwohl diese Transportprozesse für die Verteilung und die wirksamen Abbaumechanismen von Mikroplastik sehr wichtig sind, gibt es bislang keine systematischen Untersuchungen zum atmosphärischen Transport von Mikroplastik. Der luftgetragene Transport von Mikroplastik wird im vorliegenden Teilprojekt in einem Windkanal als idealisiertem Modellsystem experimentell untersucht und mit einem strömungsauflösenden Transportmodell numerisch simuliert, um die grundlegenden Prozesse verstehen und quantifizieren zu können.
Sediment erosion and transport is critical to the ecological and commercial health of aquatic habitats from watershed to sea. There is now a consensus that microorganisms inhabiting the system mediate the erosive response of natural sediments ('ecosystem engineers') along with physicochemical properties. The biological mechanism is through secretion of a microbial organic glue (EPS: extracellular polymeric substances) that enhances binding forces between sediment grains to impact sediment stability and post-entrainment flocculation. The proposed work will elucidate the functional capability of heterotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microalgae for mediating freshwater sediments to influence sediment erosion and transport. The potential and relevance of natural biofilms to provide this important 'ecosystem service' will be investigated for different niches in a freshwater habitat. Thereby, variations of the EPS 'quality' and 'quantity' to influence cohesion within sediments and flocs will be related to shifts in biofilm composition, sediment characteristics (e.g. organic background) and varying abiotic conditions (e.g. light, hydrodynamic regime) in the water body. Thus, the proposed interdisciplinary work will contribute to a conceptual understanding of microbial sediment engineering that represents an important ecosystem function in freshwater habitats. The research has wide implications for the water framework directive and sediment management strategies.
Die Nukleation von Eispartikeln spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei der Wolken- und Niederschlagsbildung, mit Konsequenten für die atmosphärische Chemie, die Wolkenphysik und das Erdklima. Für eine Quantifizierung und Vorhersage des Einflusses von Wolken in Wettervorhersage- und Klimamodellen muss die Bildung von Eispartikeln daher in einer realistischen Art und Weise beschrieben werden. Einer der wichtigen Bildungsmechanismen ist dabei die heterogene Eisnukleation im Immersionsmodus, bei dem Eis an der Oberfläche eines in einem wässrigen Tröpfchen suspendierten Eiskeims - zum Beispiel eines Mineralstaub- Partikels - gebildet wird. Wir werden im Rahmen dieses Forschungsprojekts zahlreiche Gefrierexperimente im Immersionsmodus durchführen. So werden eine Reihe verschiedener, als Aerosolpartikel in der Atmosphäre vorkommende Materialien auf ihre Eisnukleationseigenschaften hin untersucht werden. Insbesondere sollen hier die Temperatur- und Zeitabhängigkeit der von diesen Materialien ausgelösten Eisnukleation quantifiziert werden. Dabei werden wir spezielles Augenmerk auf die systematische Untersuchung der von porösen Materialien ausgelösten Eisnukleation legen. Es sollen sowohl synthetische Materialien wie beispielsweise mesoporöse Silikate untersucht werden, als auch natürlich vorkommende Materialien wie etwa mikroporöse Zeolithe.
For surface soils, the mechanisms controlling soil organic C turnover have been thoroughly investigated. The database on subsoil C dynamics, however, is scarce, although greater than 50 percent of SOC stocks are stored in deeper soil horizons. The transfer of results obtained from surface soil studies to deeper soil horizons is limited, because soil organic matter (SOM) in deeper soil layers is exposed to contrasting environmental conditions (e.g. more constant temperature and moisture regime, higher CO2 and lower O2 concentrations, increasing N and P limitation to C mineralization with soil depth) and differs in composition compared to SOM of the surface layer, which in turn entails differences in its decomposition. For a quantitative analysis of subsoil SOC dynamics, it is necessary to trace the origins of the soil organic compounds and the pathways of their transformations. Since SOM is composed of various C pools which turn over on different time scales, from hours to millennia, bulk measurements do not reflect the response of specific pools to both transient and long-term change and may significantly underestimate CO2 fluxes. More detailed information can be gained from the fractionation of subsoil SOM into different functional pools in combination with the use of stable and radioactive isotopes. Additionally, soil-respired CO2 isotopic signatures can be used to understand the role of environmental factors on the rate of SOM decomposition and the magnitude and source of CO2 fluxes. The aims of this study are to (i) determine CO2 production and subsoil C mineralization in situ, (ii) investigate the vertical distribution and origin of CO2 in the soil profile using 14CO2 and 13CO2 analyses in the Grinderwald, and to (iii) determine the effect of environmental controls (temperature, oxygen) on subsoil C turnover. We hypothesize that in-situ CO2 production in subsoils is mainly controlled by root distribution and activity and that CO2 produced in deeper soil depth derives to a large part from the mineralization of fresh root derived C inputs. Further, we hypothesize that a large part of the subsoil C is potentially degradable, but is mineralized slower compared with the surface soil due to possible temperature or oxygen limitation.
Pilze sind eine der am diversesten, jedoch am wenigsten untersuchten mikrobiellen Gruppen in marinen Gewässern. Eine Untergruppe der Pilze, kurz als Chytridien bekannt, umfasst häufig auftretende Parasiten auf Phytoplankton, welche eine starke Belastung für das Phytoplanktonwachstum, die Entwicklung von Algenblüten und deren Populationsdynamiken darstellen. Parasitäre Chytridien befallen alle Hauptgruppen von Phytoplankton und treten bevorzugt in Küstenregionen mit hoher Phytoplanktonbiomasse und Produktivität auf. Die Auswirkungen von parasitären Pilzen auf Stoffkreisläufe und die Funktion von Ökosystemen sind jedoch kaum bekannt bzw. quantifiziert. Die Emmy Noether-Nachwuchsgruppe wird die funktionelle und quantitative Rolle parasitärer Pilze für die Phytoplanktonproduktivität und den Stoffkreislauf in Brack- und Meerwasser untersuchen. Unsere Ziele sind (1) Betrachtung der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Phytoplankton und Chytridien auf Einzelzell-Ebene, (2) Untersuchungen der integrativen Rolle von Chytridien in aquatischen Nahrungsnetzen und (3) Aufklärung der Auswirkungen von parasitären Pilzen auf Remineralisierungs- und Sedimentationsprozesse. Unser umfassender Ansatz beinhaltet experimentelle Studien mit Phytoplanktonâ€ÌPilz Co-Kulturen sowie mit natürlichen Planktongemeinschaften, mittels Analysen auf Zell- und Mikoskalen-Ebene bis hin zu mesoskaligen Stoffflüssen entlang der Wassersäule. Im Wesentlichen werden wir den Transfer von Kohlenstoff und Stickstoff vom Phytoplankton durch das pelagische Nahrungsnetz innerhalb der photischen Zone bis hin zum Absinken als Detritus in die Tiefe verfolgen. Das Projektergebnis soll ein ganzheitliches Verständnis der Rolle von Chytridien an der Basis aquatischer Nahrungsnetze und Produktivität fördern, einschließlich der zugrunde liegenden Mechanismen und Größenordnungen. Angesichts der potenziellen Signifikanz parasitärer Pilze für die Abschwächung von Produktivität, Sinkstoffflüssen aber auch von toxischen Algenblüten in Küstengebieten, sollen die gewonnenen Daten mit lokalen und globalen Stoffkreisläufen verknüpft und in zukünftige Entscheidungen zum Küstenmanagement implementiert werden.
| Organisation | Count |
|---|---|
| Bund | 258 |
| Europa | 2 |
| Wissenschaft | 144 |
| Zivilgesellschaft | 1 |
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Förderprogramm | 258 |
| License | Count |
|---|---|
| Offen | 258 |
| Language | Count |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | 50 |
| Englisch | 248 |
| Resource type | Count |
|---|---|
| Keine | 203 |
| Webseite | 55 |
| Topic | Count |
|---|---|
| Boden | 215 |
| Lebewesen und Lebensräume | 249 |
| Luft | 198 |
| Mensch und Umwelt | 258 |
| Wasser | 196 |
| Weitere | 258 |