Details of Award

NERC Reference : NER/T/S/2002/00990

Do different models of prokaryote species abundance reflect freshwater quality?

Principal Investigator:: Professor TP Curtis, NERC CEH (Up to 30.11.2019), NERC CEH - Windermere
Co-Investigator:: Professor I Head, Newcastle University, Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences
Co-Investigator:: Professor R Pickup, Lancaster University, Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences
Grant held at:: NERC CEH (Up to 30.11.2019), NERC CEH - Windermere

ENRIs:: Pollution and Waste; Natural Resource Management; Global Change; Biodiversity
Science Topics:: Environmental Microbiology; Water Quality; Pollution; Community Ecology

Abstract:: The importance of prokaryotic diversity to ecosystem function is suspected but unknown. The extent of bacterial diversity has rendered conventional methods of estimating diversity inadequate for measuring changes in diversity in response to environmental stress. It has thus been impossible to test this hypothesis. We have developed a model based on species abundance distributions which can be used to quantify bacterial diversity (Curtis et al., 2002. PNAS, 99, 10494-10499). The bacterial species distribution is predicted to change from log-normal under circumstances where many factors act simultaneously to geometric when a single or few factors drive community structure e.g. reduction in water quality due to pollution. We will use our model to test whether lake trophic status and water quality are linked to the species abundance distribution and bacterial diversity.

Authorised funds only

This grant award has a total value of £18,925

Total - T&S	Total - Staff	Total - Other Costs	Total - Indirect Costs
£168	£5,029	£11,416	£2,313

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