Dear colleagues,
We are looking for a candidate for a new PhD-student position in Ecology at Stockholm University. The student will work in a Formas-financed project entitled: "The effects of extreme drought on woodland key habitat biodiversity and opportunities to enhance resilience".
Last day for application is already April 23 so please distribute to potential candidates as soon as possible!
Please feel free to contact me for further information: Kristoffer.hylander@su.se
Link to Swedish version: https://www.su.se/om-oss/jobba-p%C3%A5-su/doktorandplatser?rmpage=job&rmjob=8635&rmlang=SE'
Link to English version: https://www.su.se/english/about/working-at-su/phd?rmpage=job&rmjob=8636&rmlang=UK
Best regards,
Kristoffer Hylander
Summary from the Formas-application:
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and it is likely that such event disproportionally affect biodiversity. The summer of 2018 was characterized by an extreme drought in Sweden. We here propose to investigate how such an event affects species of conservation concern in woodland key habitats (small areas of high conservation quality embedded in a managed matrix). We evaluate the effects on several important forest biodiversity groups with different functional responses to drought: vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens. The project consists of four interlinked work packages (WP). In WP1 we evaluate the effects of drought severity on the focal species along a precipitation gradient among woodland key habitats, using spatially and temporally high resolution data on rainfall patterns. Species occurrences from before the drought year will be compared to post-drought occurrences. WP2 will address the hypothesis that microclimatic edge effects are stronger during extreme droughts (and thus a larger forest area is affected), by using a two unique retrospective methods: moss growth patterns and blueberry dendrochronology. WP3 is composed of two field experiments in which drought and potential buffering mechanisms (shade and soil moisture) that may mitigate effects of extreme drought, are manipulated. Finally, in WP4 we summarize our recommendations for mitigation and adaptation actions to increase the efficacy of conservation for policy and management against droughts.
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Kristoffer Hylander (Prof.)
Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences
Stockholm University
10691 Stockholm
08 164899
0765 525267
https://www.su.se/english/profiles/khyla-1.192334
