H2020Индивидуална стипендия2017–2019

Spor-oikos · The role of aquatic hyphomycete spores in headwater stream food webs: a food quality approach.

„Хоризонт 2020“ — Действия „Мария Склодовска-Кюри“

Период: 2017-09-01 → 2019-08-31
Финансиране от ЕС: 160 636 €
Участници: 1
Схема: MSCA-IF-EF-ST

Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.

Накратко на български

Спорите на водните гъби в горните течения на реките се изследват като източник на храна и хранителни вещества за водните организми. Това помага да се разбере как човешката дейност влияе върху естествените цикли на въглерода и биоразнообразието.

Този кратък обзор е генериран от изкуствен интелект

Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.

Резултати накратко

The role of aquatic hyphomycete spores in headwater stream food webs: a food quality approach.

The problem being investigated: Our aim was to understand a uninvestigated process on energy and nutrient flow in headwater streams: the fate of fungal spores. Headwater streams rely on allochthonous organic matter (mainly leaf litter and woody debris), which is used as energy source by aquatic hyphomycete decomposers. Fungal biomass may account for up to 8% of leaf litter mass in streams, and about 50% of their assimilated carbon (C) is converted into reproductive spores. The spores are a major component of fine particulate organic matter (FPOM), an important fraction of (C) fluxes in detritus-based systems. Yet, their role on headwater stream food webs has been overlooked, although they could be a non-negligible source of nutrients and essential molecules for aquatic filter feeder and collector consumers. Why is it important for the society: This project brings new information on the relation between an anthropogenic constraint (nutrient loads) and the integrity (biotic and functional) of an essential component responsible of the mineralization of huge quantities of terrestrial carbon. Understanding how our activities are affecting natural nutrient cycles, and the responsible of these cycles contribute towards European policy objectives (biodiversity) and strategies (conservation). Overall objectives: 1. Investigate the chemical factors controlling aquatic hyphomycetes' sporulation and deduce if global changes could modulate the sporulation process and the intrinsic quality of spores. 2. Study the role of aquatic hyphomycete spores as a resource for consumers in headwater streams by characterizing their elemental (C, N and P) and biochemical (FA and sterols) composition. Conclusions of the action (achievements): (1) Production of fungal mycelia without exposing it directly to the medium. (2) Demonstration that fungal mycelia produce spores differing in size when exposed to different nutrient ratios. This new finding has important implications in a global warming context where natural nutrient ratios are affected by anthropogenic activities. (3) Demonstration that certain stoichiometric ratios affect spores of mycelia exposed to different nutrient ratios. (4) Demonstration that the chemical complexity of essential nutrients (C, N and P) needs to be considered when studying the effect on biological traits. We showed that phosphorus chemical complexity can increase fungal spores biovolume, and the essential ratios CN and CP. This can have consequences in their potential trophic quality.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз

Цел на проекта

The functioning of forested headwater streams relies on microbially-mediated processes ensured mainly by aquatic hyphomycetes. They are pivotal systems for human and other biotic communities as they provide water, carbon, and nutrients. The scientific objectives of the Spor-oïkos project are to experimentally investigate: i) the chemical cues inducing aquatic hyphomycetes' sporulation, and ii) the functional role of aquatic hyphomycete spores in headwater food webs, both being blind spots in freshwater ecology. By applying a food quality approach and merging different scientific disciplines and theories (molecular biology, biochemical and elemental theories), this project will unveil a potential hidden pathway of nutrient and carbon (C) flow, offering new insights on the microbial contribution to large scale C fluxes. The biochemical theory studies the ecological role of essential molecules, mainly essential fatty acids and sterols. It is applied to investigate the efficiency of C transfer in trophic interactions. The elemental theory studies how the ratios of elements in organisms (e.g. C, Phosphorus and Nitrogen) shape their ecology and nutrient and energy fluxes in ecosystems. Both theories have successfully been applied to better understand the trophic interactions, and nutrient cycling in terrestrial and aquatic systems. In the last case, these theories have particularly been used to study the producer-consumer interaction in lakes, and it is just recently that they are being applied in detritus-based systems such as headwater streams. This work programme will be articulate by four experiments that have carefully been designed to progressively understand the overlooked importance of fungal spores in stream food webs, and the unknown effects of global changes (mainly eutrophication). Scientists from two high-level laboratories from two European countries will offer their expertise to train the researcher and hence open up the best possibilities for his career.

Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).

Участници

UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA · CoimbraКоординаторПортугалия