Full-time PhD Studentship - Plant-community assembly on a soil with fluctuating hydrology

Based in Milton Keynes (The Open University)
Three years six months from January 2016
Stipend: £14,057 per year and tuition fee covered, Ref: 8988

This project aims to understand how plant communities come together around seasonal pools, where the soil varies between being very wet and very dry within the same year. The communities growing here are often of great conservation importance in their own right (e.g. the Turloughs of Ireland), but they also offer an opportunity to investigate the fundamental processes of how plants compete with one another for resources in a constantly changing environment.
Grassland ecologists at the Open University have been studying plant competition for over twenty years. A particular specialism has been describing the way plant species are favoured or excluded by the water regime of the soil. A number of high impact papers have been produced on the topic (e.g. Silvertown et al 1999; Araya et al, 2011) and a particular focus has developed on the ecology of floodplain meadows (Gowing et al. 2002, 2005.) This project hopes to build on our knowledge of how plant communities behave in floodplains with the goal of comparing the behaviour of species experiencing water levels that fluctuate widely every year to those on soils with a relatively stable regime.

Funding information

This project is funded by the Eranda Foundation and the Floodplain Meadow Partnership and supervised by Professor David Gowing. The studentship is fully funded for 3 .5 years, covering tuition fees (at UK/EU level) and provides a stipend of £14057 per year.

Requirements of Candidate

A first degree in an ecological or environmental subject with evidence of good numeracy skills.

Contacts

Informal enquiries relating to the project should be directed to [Email Address Removed].

How to apply

To apply, please send an email/letter together with your CV, a personal statement (outlining your suitability for the studentship, what you hope to achieve from the PhD and your research experience to date) and a completed application form that can be found at http://www3.open.ac.uk/SAOU_User_Content/Research/Application_Forms/Application_Form_PhD_MPhil.doc to the following mailbox [Email Address Removed] or by post to the Postgraduate Research Student Co-ordinator, Science Deanery, K Block, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA. Please quote reference 8988.

Closing Date: 3 pm Monday 12 October 2015
Interviews: Week commencing of 26 October 2015

Equal Opportunity is University Policy.