MSc
Victoria Kargl
“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
- 2016–2020 Master Conservation Biology and Biodiversity Management, University of Vienna
- 2012–2016 Bachelor Ecology, University of Vienna
Master Thesis
Title: „Wildschweinsuhlen als Habitat für Libellen im Lainzer Tiergarten“, supervised by Univ.-Doz. Mag. Dr. Andreas Chovanec
Professional History
- Since 01/2020, project researcher Central Research Laboratories, Natural History Museum Vienna as part of the LE-project: „Krebse und Libellen in den ländlichen Gebieten Wiens und das Potenzial von DNA-Barcoding-Methoden für deren Erfassung und Management“
- Since 2018, eco educational tours for schools and families, Naturvermittlung (Verein Umweltspürnasen)
- 2021: Dragonfly mapping of the river Leitha, region Ebenfurth
- 2020: Dragonfly mapping of the river Leitha, region Bruck an der Leitha
- 2019: Dragonfly mapping of two streams in the Vienna Woods as part of the „Die Libellenfauna Wiens“ project
Congress contributions
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.
PAIL, V. (2022). Wildschweinsuhlen als Habitat für Libellen. 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.
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.
