Objective
Research objectives and content
Fish communities in northern European lakes are dominated by perch and roach. Perch become piscivorous with age, after going through planktivorous and bethivorous stages, while roach is mainly a planktivore. Habitat structure has prominent effects on competitive abilities and predator-prey interactions between the two species, determining ultimately their relative distribution and abundance. In most fish populations predator-induced mortality during early life stages may account for substantial variation in year-class strength, and may have important consequences for population and community dynamics. In many aquatic systems the main predators on fish larvae and juveniles are large fish, frequently adults of the same species. Since larval and juvenile fish undergo quick growth and fast development of sensory systems and swimming capabilities their vulnerability, for a given predator size, is expected to first increase (due to increasing conspicuousness) and then decrease (due to better escape responsiveness). The effects of predator and prey sizes, habitat structure
and alternate prey on predation mortality rates of small fish are well documented. However, it is not clear how the interaction of these factors affects predation mortality rates of prey fish and how this occurs along a continuous range of prey sizes. This project will study predation mortality rates of early stages of perch and roach as a function of their size, predator (piscivorous perch) size, habitat structure, and prey species assemblage. For this purpose the effects of the different factors on mortality rates will be studied under experimental laboratory conditions in order to quantify these relationships. Laboratory experiments will also be used to investigate in detail the predator-prey interaction during the attack and prey manipulation episodes. Finally, the laboratory results will be compared to field observations (whole lake experiments), which will show how well small scale experiments can be extrapolated to whole systems. Training content (objective, benefit and expected impact)
My work up to the present has been centered on different aspects of the biology and ecology of brown trout, based on fish sampling in streams, and including some experimental work on predation. The proposed post-doctoral study will expand my development as a scientist by providing an opportunity to go deeply into experimental work (on which the host group has considerable experience), within the context of a rich background of experimental and sampling based work. It will also provide me an opportunity to work with different fish species (subjected to different climatic conditions), and lakes in contrast with streams. The project proposal fits in with the host group interests, and is a key component of the modelling efforts on size-structured interactions currently underway. With respect to my future goals, I hope to obtain substantial experimental and theoretical expertise from the post-doc stay, and eventually be able to translate similar studies to local systems within my own country.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences sociology demography mortality
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology ichthyology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
You need to log in or register to use this function
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Data not available
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
901 87 Umeå
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.