Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/C00034X/1
Swallows powered by natural gas: the fuelling of terrestrial foodwebs by biogenic methane.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor S Bearhop, Queen's University of Belfast, Sch of Biological and Food Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr I Hartley, Lancaster University, Lancaster Environment Centre
- Grant held at:
- Queen's University of Belfast, Sch of Biological and Food Sciences
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Freshwater
- Overall Classification:
- Freshwater
- ENRIs:
- Natural Resource Management
- Global Change
- Biodiversity
- Science Topics:
- Biogeochemical Cycles
- Behavioural Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Climate & Climate Change
- Abstract:
- In recent years it has become increasingly apparent that the microbial loop and microbial production play an important role in many aquatic ecosystems. Further there is a growing realisation that what may appear to be distinct foodwebs can be tightly coupled, with substantial energy fluxes across habitat boundaries. For example carbon flow between terrestrial and freshwater systems is classically portrayed as one of allochthonous terrestrial material fuelling aquatic foodwebs, yet the flow from freshwater to terrestrial (mediated by adult instars of aquatic insects) can be substantial. Our study will combine these developments, utilising the unique stable isotope signatures associated with chemosynthetic microbial methane production as tracers, to investigate, for the fist time, the fuelling of terrestrial food webs by benthic microbial consortia via emerging aquatic insects. Resolving and elucidating connectivity among foodwebs is likely to have implications for our understanding of a range of ecosystem process such as population/metapopulation dynamics, trophic cascades and stability.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/C00034X/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Standard Grant
This grant award has a total value of £100,898
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - T&S | Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Equipment | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £12,282 | £53,064 | £7,599 | £3,543 | £24,409 |
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