HEИндивидуална стипендия2023–2025

LEOTHREAT · Assessment of the threat of metal exposure to lions (Panthera leo) in East Africa

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

Период: 2023-10-01 → 2025-12-31
Финансиране от ЕС: 210 911 €
Участници: 1
Схема: HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF

Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.

Накратко на български

Нивата на тежки метали и PFAS при лъвовете в Източна Африка се анализират чрез проби от кръв, козина, почва и вода. Данните помагат за подобряване на мониторинга и опазването на тези големи хищници в техните естествени местообитания.

Този кратък обзор е генериран от изкуствен интелект

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

Резултати накратко

Assessment of the threat of metal exposure to lions (Panthera leo) in East Africa

Across East Africa, lions are exposed to multiple pressures, including habitat loss, prey decline, human–wildlife conflict and other environmental changes. Pollution has also been identified as a potential threat, but very little is known about contaminant exposure in free-ranging lions or about the pathways through which pollutants may move from the environment to large carnivores. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, LEOTHREAT investigated whether metal exposure could represent an overlooked risk for lions in East Africa. The project focused on lions and their ecosystem in areas potentially influenced by mining activities and in less impacted reference areas. Its main objectives were to assess metal exposure in lions, evaluate possible links with blood plasma clinical-chemical parameters, test whether lion hair can be used as a non-invasive biomonitoring matrix, and investigate exposure routes through prey, soil, vegetation, water and stable isotope information. During the project, the contaminant scope was also expanded by adding PFAS and Total Oxidizable Precursor Assay analyses to the Tanzanian samples. Overall, LEOTHREAT aims to generate baseline information, improve biomonitoring tools for large carnivores, and provide evidence that can support future research and conservation-oriented monitoring in East African protected areas.

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

Цел на проекта

The lion population of East Africa is declining due to several reasons, and pollution listed as one of the current threats by IUCN. However, no data on exposure routes of pollution from mining on lions in East Africa are available and metal pollution in terrestrial ecosystems in East Africa is understudied. The current proposal aims to fill this gap by looking at both metal exposure in lions and their main prey close to mining areas and in reference areas away from suspected pollution. In addition, non-invasive sampling of fur will be assessed as biomonitoring tool for metal exposure. Finally, we will provide recommendations to local authorities and communicate our findings to local communities. This project will give me the opportunity to apply my previous knowledge on metal pollution in wildlife and to gain new expertise working in African ecosystems and with African communities, as well as gain new practical skills, such as sampling large carnivores. Furthermore, my supervisors at the Norwegian University of Science in Technology (NTNU) provide interdisciplinary expertise within ecotoxicology (Prof. Jaspers) and conservation ecology (Prof. Røskaft).LEOTHREAT’s main research question is: What are the main exposure routes for metals in East African lion populations? I hypothesize that lions inhabiting mining sites may be exposed to metals due to the ingestion of contaminated prey and water. The exposure to toxic metals may cause adverse effects on their health, thus contributing to population declines. Me and local collaborators will study metal exposure by sampling blood and fur from lions inhabiting areas close to mines as well as from lions ranging areas unsuspected to be contaminated.

Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).

Участници

NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU · TrondheimКоординаторНорвегия