Climate Change Implications for River Restoration in Global Biodiversity Hotspots

Information on this PhD research area can be found further down this page under the details about the Widening Participation Scholarship given immediately below.

Applications for this PhD research are welcomed from anyone worldwide but there is an opportunity for UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) to apply for a widening participation scholarship.

Widening Participation Scholarship: Any UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) is invited to apply. Our scholarships seek to increase participation from groups currently under-represented within research. A priority will be given to students that meet the widening participation criteria and to graduates of the University of Salford. For more information about widening participation, follow this link: https://www.salford.ac.uk/postgraduate-research/fees. [Scroll down the page until you reach the heading “PhD widening participation scholarships”.] Please note: we accept applications all year but the deadline for applying for the widening participation scholarships in 2024 is 28th March 2024. All candidates who wish to apply for the MPhil or PhD widening participation scholarship will first need to apply for and be accepted onto a research degree programme. As long as you have submitted your completed application for September/October 2024 intake by 28 February 2024 and you qualify for UK fees, you will be sent a very short scholarship application. This form must be returned by 28 March 2024. Applications received after this date must either wait until the next round or opt for the self-funded PhD route.

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Project description: Global biodiversity hotspots are characterised by high concentrations of endemic species in areas facing escalating habitat loss as a result of our changing climate. However, most of these hotspots are either geographically confined, which renders them susceptible to the impacts of our warming climate, or they have been anthropogenically engineered out of existence. Predicted alterations in rainfall and temperature are expected to have profound impacts on freshwater ecosystems within these regions especially with the limited mobility of species towards more hospitable environments. These hotspots serve as valuable models for examining the challenges associated with river restoration in the context of climate change. For instance, current and projected water temperature changes may surpass the thermal tolerances of aquatic fauna. Functional floodplains and wetlands are equally vital as a biodiversity hotspot in a warming climate. They offer stable, temperature-moderated environments for diverse plant and animal species, whilst mitigating the impact of droughts. These ecosystems further provide crucial habitat for wildlife, support vegetation for carbon sequestration, and serve as natural purifiers, flood buffers, and carbon sinks.

Globally large biodiversity hotspots are typically enclosed by geographical barriers, such as oceans and deserts. Consequently, as a result of climate change, the fauna residing there face limitations in adapting their distributions and therefore have to move north, south or to higher altitudes in response to rising temperatures. As a result, effective mitigation measures need to focus on in situ actions aimed at creating suitable biophysical environments that enhances species' resilience. Here this research will investigate catchment scale restoration to provide improved climate resilience to these essential biodiversity hotspots and the creation of new hotspots. It is postulated that a 10% increase in riparian cover may reduce water temperatures by 1°C therefore extrapolated restoration techniques hold relevance where geographical constraints impede species movement. In turn this research will provide essential insight in the preservation and restoration of wetlands and biodiversity hotspots as key biodiversity and ecological stabilisers to our changing climate.