Effects of environmental contaminants in amphibians and reptiles

Changing land use practices in agriculture may increase the contamination risk to amphibians and reptiles with pesticides. For instance, this may simply be related to the expansion of previously uncultivated areas due to the demand for energy crops, but also the cultivation of genetically manipulated crops. We investigate direct and indirect effects of environmentally (and legally) pesticide concentrations on the survival of individuals, populations and species. (i) We perform lab experiments on an amphibian standard model organism (Clawed frogs, Xenopus), with a strong focus on potential effects from glyphosate-based herbicides. (ii) Wild frogs, newts, lizards and snakes are investigated in the field. Here, we aim at studying at e.g. avoidance of differently contaminated water bodies and the detection of unusual deformation rates in larvae or individual degrees of contamination, for instance, via arthropod food sources. We also use GIS-based approaches in risk analyses.

PI: Stefan Lötters & Norman Wagner

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