PhD in tropical conservation: Quantifying the impacts of land-use change on tropical biodiversity across scales

Tropical land-use change is a core driver of the global extinction and climate change crises. Key questions remain about how land-use change drives species losses and changing composition across the tropics, from local to regional spatial scales. Previous work has tended to focus on a single stressor, but this PhD will bring together a combined understanding of how multiple land-uses changes combine to impact biodivesity across scales. A PhD student on this project will employ field sampling, advanced statistical methods and/or remote sensing to explore the combined effects of land-use changes.

We have experience working on selective logging, forest fragmentation, forest conversion to oil palm and rubber plantation crops, and the regeneration of secondary forest post-farm abandonment, across vertebrates, invertebrates and plants, and spanning core tropical regions, including the Tropical Andes, Amazon, sub-Saharan Africa, and South-east Asia, allowing the student to explore a range of disturbances and taxa at a range of scales. This research is designed to answer questions with strong applied importance and thus to provide the evidence base for improved land management across the tropics.

Science Graduate School

As a PhD student in one of the science departments at the University of Sheffield, you will get access to training opportunities of the Science Graduate School designed to support your career development by helping you gain professional skills that are essential in all areas of science. You will be able to learn how to recognise good research and research behaviour, improve your communication abilities and experience the breadth of technologies that are used in academia, industry and many related careers. Visit http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sgs to learn more.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/biosciences/postgraduate/phd