• Amphibian ecotoxicology and ecology
• Food web ecology and trophic interactions
• Aquatic ecotoxicology
• Mosquito control agent Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis
• Non-target organisms

• DFG-Graduiertenkolleg“SystemLink”:
  Amphibian Ecology – The mosquito control biocide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) directly and indirectly affects amphibians and their role in terrestrial ecosystems.

In 2016, I finished my B.Sc. degree in “Environmental Sciences” at the University of Koblenz-Landau. In my Bachelor’s thesis, I investigated effects of a combination of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and pesticides, organic matter and UV light on the water flea Daphnia magna. After doing research in the field of ecotoxicology, I decided to stay in Landau for the M.Sc. “Ecotoxicology” program and continue to work with anthropogenic stressors. In my internship at the IES in Witterswil (Switzerland) in 2017, I gained expertise in a variety of ecotoxicological tests under GLP, e.g. honey bee acute tests, solitary bee semi-field studies, collembolans, algae and Daphnia acute tests. Additionally, I worked with activated sludge and pesticides under UV light exposure.

During the research for my Master’s thesis, I first worked with amphibians where I exposed juvenile common frogs and common toads to soil contaminated with folpet and glyphosate formulations. I investigated sublethal effects on behavioral and biochemical level.

Afterwards, I got the opportunity to continue the work with amphibians and start a PhD in the SystemLink project funded by the DFG. Since October 2019, I investigate direct and indirect effects of the mosquito control agent Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, mainly focusing on the food web of amphibian larvae.

Gerstle V, Adams E, &Brühl CA (2019): Lethal and sublethal effects of viticultural pesticides (folpet and glyphosate) on juvenile Rana temporaria. 8^thYoung Environmental Scientists Meeting, Ghent, Belgium (Poster presentation).

• Ganglo, C., Mendoza-Lera, C., Manfrin, A., Bolpagni, R., Gerstle, V., Kolbenschlag, S., Bollinger, E., Schulz, R., Lorke, A. (2023) Does biocide treatment for mosquito control alter carbon dynamics in floodplain ponds? Science of the Total Environment 872, 161978, DOI Link


• Kolbenschlag, S., Bollinger, E., Gerstle, V., Brühl, C.A., Entling, M.H., Schulz, R., Bundschuh, M. (2023) Impact across ecosystem boundaries – does Bti application change the quality and composition the diet of riparian spiders? . Science of the Total Environment 873, 162351, DOI Link


• Manfrin, A., Schirmel, J., Mendoza-Lera, C., Ahmed, A., Bohde, R., Brunn, M., Brühl, C.A., Buchmann, C., Bundschuh, M., Burgis, F., Diehl, D., Entling, M.H., Ganglo, C., Geissler, S., Gerstle, V., Girardi, J.P., Graf, T., Huszarik, M., Jamin, J., Joschko, T.J., Jungkunst, H.F., Knäbel, A., Kolbenschlag, S., Lorke, A., Muñoz, K., Ogbeide, C., Osakpolor, S.E., Pietz, S., Riess, K., Roodt, A.P., Rovelli, L., Röder, N., Rösch, V., Schaumann, G.E., Schäfer, R.B., Schmitt, T., Schmitz, D., Schwenk, K., Stehle, S., , R. (2023) SystemLink - Propagation of in-stream environmental alterations to adjacent terrestrial ecosystems Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, DOI Link


• Gerstle, V., Solanki, P., Manfrin, A., Kolbenschlag, S., Brühl C. A. (2023) Stress Response of European Common Frog (Rana temporaria) Tadpoles to Bti Exposure in an Outdoor Pond Mesocosm, Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology volume 110, DOI Link


• Gerstle, Verena; Manfrin, Alessandro; Kolbenschlag, Sara; Gerken, Maximilian; Islam, A. Mufachcher UlS.M.; Entling, Martin H.; Bundschuh, Mirco; Brühl, Carsten A. (2023) Benthic macroinvertebrate community shifts based on Bti-induced chironomid reduction also decrease Odonata emergence. In: Environ Pollut 316, S. 120488. DOI Link


• Kolbenschlag, Sara; Gerstle, Verena; Eberhardt, Julian; Bollinger, Eric; Schulz, Ralf; Bruhl, Carsten A.; Bundschuh, Mirco (2023) A temporal perspective on aquatic subsidy: Bti affects emergence of Chironomidae. In: Ecotox Environ Safe 250, S. 114503. DOI Link


• Adams, Elena; Gerstle, Verena; Schmitt, Tobias; Brühl, Carsten A. (2021) Co-formulants and adjuvants affect the acute aquatic and terrestrial toxicity of a cycloxydim herbicide formulation to European common frogs (Rana temporaria). In: Sci Total Environ 789, S. 147865. DOI Link


• Adams, Elena; Gerstle, Verena; Brühl, Carsten A. (2021) Dermal fungicide exposure at realistic field rates induces lethal and sublethal effects on juvenile European common frogs (Rana temporaria). In: Environ Toxicol Chem 40 (5), S. 1289–1297. DOI Link


• Lüderwald, S.; Meyer, F.; Gerstle, V.; Friedrichs, L.; Rolfing, K.; Schreiner, V. C.; Bakanov, N.; Schulz, R.; Bundschuh, M. (2020) Reduction of pesticide toxicity under field-relevant conditions? The interaction of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, ultraviolet, and natural organic matter. In: Environ Toxicol Chem 39, S. 2237–2246. DOI Link