BSc
Iris Fischer

Project researcher "LE 14-20 FFH-Libellenarten"

"Crayfish and dragonflies in rural areas of Vienna and the potential of DNA barcoding methods for their detection and management"
 
This study is a research and management project on dragonflies and autochthonous and invasive crayfish, which assesses the potential of DNA barcoding methods for detection of these species in waterbodies of the rural areas of Vienna. The focus is on the detection of crustacean and dragonfly species using eDNA barcoding (environmental DNA). This method has been developed to detect species by their DNA traces in water bodies.
The already established DNA barcoding methods for dragonflies (eDNA; DNA barcoding of exuviae) will be refined for application-oriented use in order to test their applicability for ecological assessments and the monitoring of FFH species. The collected data will be used for evaluating the ecological status of the investigated waterbodies.
In the project part that concerns the crayfish, eDNA barcoding will be established for the detection of native and invasive crayfish species. Invasive crayfish species are (potential) carriers of the crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci) and pose a threat to autochthonous species due to their increasing dispersal. This study will create the basis to evaluate the method for the detection of crayfish in comparison to traditional sampling methods.
The investigation of streams with syntopic occurrence of crayfish and the FFH dragonfly species Cordulegaster heros (Balkan Goldenring) will allow to analyse the influence of crayfish on Cordulegaster heros populations.
Hence, the project will provide important information on the ecological status of Vienna's waterbodies and help to evaluate classical field methods in comparison to eDNA barcoding. The results of the study will also form the basis for further management measures.
The project is funded by the Muncipal Department for water management (MA45) and the European Union within the Austrian Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.
 
Project team
 
Elisabeth Haring, Priv.-Doz. Dr. (project management, contact)
Natural History Museum Vienna, Central Research Laboratories
elisabeth.haring@nhm-wien.ac.at
 
Andreas Chovanec, Univ.-Doz. Dr.
Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt- und Wasserwirtschaft, Abt. Nationale und internationale Wasserwirtschaft
Andreas.Chovanec@bmlfuw.gv.at
 
Iris Fischer, MSc
Natural History Museum Vienna, Central Research Laboratories
iris.fischer@nhm-wien.ac.at
 
Wolfram Graf, Assoc. Prof. Dr.
University of Natural Resources And Life Sciences Vienna, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG)
wolfram.graf@boku.ac.at
 
Anne Hartmann, Dipl.-Ing. Dr. nat.techn.
University of Natural Resources And Life Sciences Vienna, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG)
anne.hartmann@boku.ac.at
 
Patrick Leitner, Dipl.-Ing. Dr. nat.techn.
University of Natural Resources And Life Sciences Vienna, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG)
patrick.leitner@boku.ac.at
 
Victoria Pail, MSc
Natural History Museum Vienna, Central Research Laboratories
victoria.pail@nhm-wien.ac.at

Education

2013-2017  Master of Zoology, University of Vienna
2007-2013  Bachelor of Biology, University of Vienna
 
 

Master Thesis

Title: „Die Libellenfauna der Donauinsel in Wien und Niederösterreich“ betreut von Univ.-Doz. Mag. Dr. Andreas Chovanec, unterstützt von der Magistratsabteilung 45 – Wiener Gewässer
 

Professional History

  • since 2020 - project researcher, Central Research Laboratories, Natural History Museum Vienna as part of the LE-project: „Libellen und Krebse in den ländlichen Gebieten Wiens“
  • since 2018 - external teacher, University of Vienna, course „Libellen - Ökologie, Taxonomie, Bioindikation“
  • 2017-2019 - project researcher, Central Research Laboratories, Natural History Museum Vienna as part of the LE-project: „Die Libellenfauna Wiens: Erhebungen und Erfassung mittels DNA-Barcoding unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der FFH-Arten Cordulegaster heros und Leucorrhinia pectoralis“
  • 2019 - Survey of the dragonfly fauna at „Phönixteichs“/Donauinsel for the Municipal Department 45 – Wiener Gewässer
  • 2018 - Survey of the dragonfly fauna at „Retentionsbecken des Wienflusses Mauerbachs“ for the Municipal Department 45 – Wiener Gewässer
  • 2018 - Survey of the dragonfly fauna at „Pratergewässer“ for the Municipal Department 45 – Wiener Gewässer
  • 2016 - Survey of the dragonfly fauna at „Asperner Sees“ for the Municipal Department 45 – Wiener Gewässer
  • 2016 - Survey of  „Geschützter Insekten in landwirtschaftlichen Gebieten in Wien, im Österreichischen Programm für die Ländliche Entwicklung 2014–2020 – Libellen (Odonata)“ for the "Entomofaunistischen Gesellschaft Österreich"
  • 2015 - Survey of the dragonfly fauna and ecological state evaluation at „Alte Donau“ as part of the LIFE project „Alte Donau“ for the Municipal Department 45 – Wiener Gewässer

Original articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals

 
GEIGER, M., KOBLMÜLLER, S., ASSANDRI, G., CHOVANEC, A., EKREM, T., FISCHER, I., GALIMBERTI, A., GRABOWSKI, M., HARING, E., HAUSMANN, A., HENDRICH, L., KOCH, S., MAMOS, T., ROTHE, U., RULIK, B., REWICZ, T., SITTENTHALER, M., STUR, E., TOŃCZYK, G., ZANGL, L. & MORINIERE, J. (2021): Coverage and quality of DNA barcode references for Central and Northern European Odonata. – PeerJ, 9: e11192. doi: 10.7717/peerj.11192.
 
FISCHER, I. & CHOVANEC, A. (2019): Bewertung des libellen-ökologischen Zustands der Retentionsbecken an Wienfluss und Mauerbach (Wien) (Insecta: Odonata). Beiträge zur Entomofaunistik, 20: 161–176.
 
FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M. & CHOVANEC, A. (2018): Zum Vorkommen von drei Arten der Gattung Leucorrhinia in Wien (Österreich) mit dem Erstnachweis von L. albifrons (Odonata: Libellulidae). – Libellula, 37/1/2: 79–90.
  
FISCHER, I. (2016): Neuer Nachweis der Zierlichen Moosjungfer, Leucorrhinia caudalis (Charpentier, 1840) (Odonata: Libellulidae), in Wien. Beiträge zur Entomofaunistik 17: 127–167.

Expert reports

 
FISCHER, I. & CHOVANEC, A. (2020): Bewertung des Erhaltungszustandes der Großen Moosjungfer, Leucorrhinia pectoralis (CHARPENTIER, 1825), im Nationalpark Lobau. Bericht im Auftrag der Magistratsabteilung 22 – Umweltschutz (in prep.)

FISCHER, I. & CHOVANEC, A. (2019): Bewertung des Erhaltungszustandes der Großen Quelljungfer, Cordulegaster heros (Theischinger, 1979), im Natura–2000–Gebiet Lainzer Tiergarten. Bericht im Auftrag der Magistratsabteilung 22 – Umweltschutz
 

Conference proceedings 


FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., PAIL, V., CHOVANEC, A., & HARING, E. (2022). Libellen in Wien: klassisches Monitoring oder molekulargenetische Methoden zur Erfassung von Libellen - ein kritischer Vergleich. In Tagungsband Der 2. Digitalkonferenz Der Gesellschaft Deutschsprachiger Odonatologen (Gdo E.v.). Presented at the 2. Digitalkonferenz der Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen (GdO e.V.) 18.-19. März 2022, Online: Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e. V.

HARING, E., FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., WOLF, P., CHOVANEC, A., KOBLMÜLLER, S., et al. (2020). Intraspecific genetic diversity in selected widespread dragonfly species (Insecta: Odonata). Acta Zoobot Austria, 157, 239-256.
 
FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., PAIL, V., HARING, E. (2020): DNA barcoding methods for the detection of dragonfly species. 4th Annual Meeting in Conservation Genetics 2020 Abstract Book: 86.

BROCKHAUS, T., FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., (2020): Was ist Somatochlora metallica? Erste Ergebnisse zur Klärung einer systematischen Verwirrnis. –  Tagungsband der 39. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen (GdO e.V.): 15.
 
FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., PAIL, V., HARING, E. (2020): DNA-Barcoding Methoden zum Nachweis von Libellen. – Tagungsband der 39. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen (GdO e.V.): 20.
 
FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., ZANGL, L., KOBLMÜLLER, S., TRAUGOTT, M., & HARING, E. (2019): DNA-Barcoding der österreichischen Libellenfauna – Aufbau einer Referenzdatenbank und deren Anwendung. – Tagungsband der 38. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen (GdO e.V.): 18.

ZANGL, L., FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., HARING, E., KUNZ, G., & KOBLMÜLLER, S. (2019). Barcoding Austria’s damsels and dragons – from the first steps to flying high. In Acta Zoobot Austria 155 (2) [2018] (Vol. 155 (2), p. 71).

FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., TRAUGOTT, M., THALINGER, B., ZANGL, L., KOBLMÜLLER, S., KUNZ, G., CHOVANEC, A., SATTMANN, H., RANDOLF, S. & HARING, E. (2018): Monitoring and DNA barcoding of dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) in Vienna, Austria. – Acta ZooBot Austria, 155/2: 39–42.
 
FISCHER, I., ZANGL, L., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., Sefc, K. M., KUNZ, G. (2018), Barcoding Austria’s damsel- and dragonflies – Acta ZooBot Austria, 156: 277.
 
FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., SATTMANN, H., HARING, E. (2017): SUMMER IN THE CITY! - DNA Barcoding and survey of dragonflies in Vienna: preliminary results. Arianta 6: 28-29.

ZANGL, L., FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., HARING, E., KUNZ, G. & KOBLMÜLLER, S. (2017): Barcoding Austria’s damsels and dragons – First steps or learning to fly. NOBIS Austria young researcher’ s day 2017Abstract Book: 23.


Congress contributions: Talks

FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., PAIL, V., ZANGL, L., KOBLMÜLLER, S., CHOVANEC, A., & HARING, E. (2021): Identification of dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata): DNA barcoding of exuviae and eDNA analysis of water samples. – Management of animal and plant genetic resources – p. 53, International Conference on Management of animal and plant genetic resources, Tirana, Albania (Academy of Science of Albania).

FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., PAIL, V., & HARING, E. (2020). DNA barcoding methods for the detection of dragonfly species. Presented at the 4th Annual Meeting in Conservation Genetics 2020, Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Senckenberg Society for Nature Research.

FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., PAIL, V., & HARING, E. (2020). DNA-Barcoding Methoden zum Nachweis von Libellen. Presented at the 39. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen (GdO) e. V., Höxter, Germany.

FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., TRAUGOTT, M., SINT, D., ZANGL, L., KOBLMÜLLER, S., et al. (2020). DNA barcoding of Austrian dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) - from the setup of a reference database to its application in identification of exuviae and eDNA analysis. In Acta Zoobot Austria 157 [2020] (Vol. 157, p. 366-368). Presented at the ABOL Tagung 2019, 4.-6. Dezember 2019, Innsbruck, Austria.

FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A., ZANGL, L., KOBLMÜLLER, S., TRAUGOTT, M., & HARING, E. (2019). DNA-Barcoding der österreichischen Libellenfauna – Aufbau einer Referenzdatenbank und deren Anwendung. Presented at the 38. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen, Karlsruhe, Germany: Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e. V.

FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., TRAUGOTT, M., THALINGER, B., ZANGL, L., KOBLMÜLLER, S., et al. (2019). Monitoring and DNA barcoding of dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) in Vienna, Austria. In Acta Zoobot Austria 155 (2) [2018] (Vol. 155 (2), p. 39-42). Presented at the ABOL meeting 2017, Vienna.

FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., TRAUGOTT, M., ZANGL, L., KOBLMÜLLER, S., CHOVANEC, ANDREAS, A., & HARING, E. (2019). DNA barcoding of the Austrian dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) - from the setup of a reference database to its application. In V. Pešić (Eds.), The Book Of Abstracts And Programme Of 8Th International Symposium Of Ecologists Of Montenegro, 2-5 October 2019 (p. 172). Presented at the 8th International Symposium of Ecologists ISEM8, Budva, Montenegro: Institute for Biodiversity and Ecology.


Popular science

 
FISCHER, I., SITTENTHALER, M., CHOVANEC, A. & HARING, E. (2017): Mit Libellen-Kescher und DNA-Barcoding auf den Spuren der fliegenden Edelsteine Wiens. – Das Naturhistorische: das Magazin des NHM in: Universum, 12: 3.

Central Research Laboratories

Chai Min
Project researcher
De Mattia Willy
Project researcher
Duda Michael
project researcher
Haring Elisabeth
Head of department
Helmer Nikolaus
Project researcher
Kapun Martin
Bioinformatician
Kargl Victoria
Project researcher
Kirchner Sandra
Project researcher
Kruckenhauser Luise
Staff scientist
Leeb Christoph
Project researcher
Macek Oliver
project researcher, Myriapoda collection assistant
Reier Susanne
Project researcher
Schwahofer Paula
Project researcher
Sittenthaler Marcia
Administration, Technician, Projekt researcher (currently on parental leave)
Szucsich Nikolaus
ABOL-manager
Wanka Alexandra Julia
Technician (CRL)
Wegner Wencke
Operator for microanalysis
Winkler Viola
operator microCT
  
Online-Tickets