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Project Background
There are widespread concerns about possible insect declines in terrestrial and freshwater environments. Non-target effects of pesticides in both agricultural and garden settings may play an important role in declines, affecting both beneficial insects and aquatic species via runoff from the land. These effects may be poorly characterised, however, often extrapolating from laboratory-based chemical exposures, studying individual pesticides (cf. the cocktail of chemicals often used in practice) or focusing on individual taxa (e.g. honeybees). Moreover, the speed and extent to which invertebrate communities recover following pesticide exposure is poorly understood.
This project takes advantage of a unique opportunity to study pesticide impacts on whole invertebrate communities. The island of Guernsey is in the processes of banning pesticides, whilst neighbouring Channel Islands will continue their use, forming a robust experimental design with treatment and control islands. NERC has recently awarded funding to study the response of pollinating insects to the pesticide ban, and this PhD will extend this to look at the response of freshwater communities on the island, and compare them to terrestrial insects.
The Guernsey study system will be supported by UK-wide data on river invertebrates and pesticide concentrations generated by the NERC-funded LTLS-FE project (https://water.leeds.ac.uk/fwq-programme/ltls-freshwater-ecosystems/) in which Cardiff University is a partner. This will allow study of pesticide effects and recovery at a national scale.
Project Aims and Methods
Using a combination of fieldwork and existing data sets, the project aims to:
There is great scope to tailor the aims of the PhD within this general framework, and the student would be encouraged to take an active role in this with the supervisory team. For example, the role of pesticides alongside other stressors (e.g. excess nutrients) could be studied, looking at multiple stressor effects, or the similarities between recovery from pesticide exposure and other pollutants could be evaluated.
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Jane Memmott, Bristol University, School of Biological Sciences
Co-Supervisor: Dr Miranda Bane, Bristol University, School of Biological Sciences
Candidate requirements
The project would suit an ecologist, preferably with some prior experience of: i) working with terrestrial and/or freshwater invertebrates, and ii) data analysis using R software.
Training
The student will be based at Cardiff University, with regular trips to Bristol University (only ~1h away) and with fieldwork in the Channel Islands. All necessary training will be provided by the supervisory team and their research groups, supplemented by additional targeted training as required.
How to Apply
For information on how to apply for postgraduate study at Cardiff University, please follow this link
https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/biosciences-phd-mphil-md.
When applying, please ensure that you include on the Cardiff application form the project title you are applying for, the supervisor and note ‘NERC DTP’ under the source of funding.
IMPORTANT: When uploading the Personal Statement, please ensure that you download and use the NERC personal statement form provided under the heading 'How do I apply' at the following link: Apply — NERC GW4+ (nercgw4plus.ac.uk). Personal statements which are not written on the NERC GW4+ Personal Statement form will not be considered during the short-listing and interview process"
The application deadline is Tuesday 9 January 2024 at 2359 GMT. Interviews will take place from 26 February to 8 March 2024. For more information about the NERC GW4+ Doctoral Training Partnership please visit https://www.nercgw4plus.ac.uk.
Research output data provided by the Research Excellence Framework (REF)
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