Publication Date
Spring 5-2021
School
School of Health Sciences
Major
Biology: Biomedical Sciences
Keywords
Freshwater microbiome, pesticides, microbial resistance
Disciplines
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology
Recommended Citation
Hooper, Gabriel, "Resistance of the Freshwater Microbiome to a Combination of Pesticides" (2021). Senior Honors Theses. 1056.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1056
Abstract
Pesticides are used prevalently throughout the United States and can negatively affect non-target organisms. Rain run-off can move multiple pesticides into freshwater ecosystems and bring them in contact with non-target organisms that have variable tolerances to pollution. This study seeks to improve our understanding of how an acute exposure to a combination of pesticides may restructure microbial communities by examining the microbiome before and after a 48-hour exposure to 2000 ppb of herbicides (glyphosate, atrazine, and 2,4-D). Pesticide exposure did not significantly alter the alpha or beta diversity of the sample types, which demonstrates the ability of freshwater microbiomes to resist acute pesticide disturbance. This finding is important when considering questions of freshwater conservation.
Included in
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons
