The Effects of Natural and Anthropogenic Factors on Microbes

In this work the effects of environmental factors such as temperature and ultraviolet radiation and also of the antibiotic tetracycline on the microbial decomposition of Scirpus lacustris an emergent macrophyte were measured.Six journal articles emerged from the present work. First the 1st record of rates of removal of carbon by fungi from decaying plant material as measured over a season in plants that were standing dead and in Scirpus that was submerged in water and in various temperature models. Second the optimal conditions required to extract ergosterol a compound largely attributed to living fungi. Third the determination of ergosterol by HPLC-UV and mass spectrometry analysis. Four also for the first time the rate of decay and adsorption of tetracycline in distilled river and pond water. Five showing the very low concentrationsparts per billion that can disrupt the metabolism of bacteria in river and pond water as measured by the uptake of ritiated leucine. Six using laser microscopy also for the first time and flourescent probes to measure decompositional processes on Scirpus lacustris stems.