Conservation of pollinator biodiversity and sustainable management of pollination services in agroecosystems

Wild and managed pollinators provide a wide range of benefits to society in terms of contributions to food security, farmer and beekeeper livelihoods, social and cultural values, as well as the maintenance of wider biodiversity and ecosystem stability. Pollinators face numerous threats, including changes in land-use and management intensity, climate change, pesticides and genetically modified crops, pollinator management and pathogens, and invasive alien species. There are well-documented declines in some wild and managed pollinators in several regions of the world. However, many effective policy and management responses can be implemented to safeguard pollinators and sustain pollination services.

The University of Reading, UK, is a world-leading research centre on pollinators and keen to develop novel PhD projects on topics related to pollinator biodiversity and sustainable management of pollination services.

Note: applications are only open to students who have already secured full funding, our funded studentships are advertised elsewhere.