Forestand Landscape Denmark, Faculty of Life Sciences at University of Copenhagen is offering a PhD scholarship commencing June 1, 2011 or soon thereafter.
Project description
The ongoing biodiversity loss has prompted concerns that the functioning of ecosystems and the services provided to humans may be compromised. The functional role of biodiversity in terms of the effect on various ecosystem services is still little understood and to a lesser extent quantified.
In European forestry, the functional effect of different individual tree species and tree species diversity, i.e. tree species mixtures, on ecosystem services remains to be quantified. This knowledge is needed to assess the consequences of different forest management schemes and to guide forest management for optimal provision of ecosystem services. The forests of Europe constitute a significant carbon sink, and the management of these forests to maintain this ecosystem service is essential for Europes greenhouse gas balance.
At the same time, it is crucial that forests retain high N inputs from atmospheric deposition for provision of ecosystem services such as pure ground and surface water and soil quality. Only few field-based studies are available to assess soil C and N dynamics in stands of pure and mixed species and few attempts have been made to review and synthesize effects functional diversity of tree species. The aim of the Ph.D. project is to investigate the influence of the most common European tree species and their mixtures on soil C and N stocks as well as their depth distribution and dynamics.
The Ph.D. project is an integrated part of the large EU FP7-project FunDivEurope that will explore how tree species diversity affects a broad range of ecosystem services. The Ph.D project makes use of selected tree species diversity gradients in 6 case study areas across Europe. Forest floor and mineral soil samples will be taken by local field teams according to a standardized methodology. The samples will be analysed for C, N, available nitrate-N, pH, root biomass and bulk density.
The data will be used to estimate C and N stocks that will be evaluated in connection with available information on site properties, litter quality, litter production, decomposition rates and soil fauna (earthworm activity). Based on the ratio between litterfall C and forest floor C indices of C turnover can be estimated for this large number of stands. Part of the work will involve cooperation with other subprojects in FunDivEurope. The basic measurements may be supplemented at a few selected sites by more specific indicators of C and N cycling.
Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD fellow at LIFE are:
- Manage and carry through your research project
- Take PhD courses
- Write scientific articles and your PhD thesis
- Participate in international congresses
- Stay at a research institution abroad for a few months
- Teach and disseminate your research
Terms of employment
The position will be filled according to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The post is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.
About LIFE
Based in a country that has the worlds most environmentally friendly agricultural production and located in Medicon Valley, among global pharmaceutical, biotech and food companies, the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen is situated in the heart of one of the worlds strongest life science environments.
