UK wilding for nature recovery: investigating the role of large herbivores

About the Project

Project Description

Supervisors

Professor Bob Smith (University of Kent, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation)

Professor Zoe Davies (University of Kent, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation)

External members of the supervisor panel:

Evan Bowen-Jones, Chief Executive at Kent Wildlife Trust

Paul Hadaway, Director of Conservation at Kent Wildlife Trust

Project background

UK biodiversity is in decline, so there is an increasing focus on nature recovery to reverse this trend (Smith et al, 2022). Such initiatives include (re)wilding projects (Carver et al, 2021), which often involve re-establishing low-intensity grazing to restore ecosystem functioning. One of the highest profile projects is taking place in Kent, where European bison and several domestic species have been introduced to graze within an ancient woodland (KNP, 2020). These projects could be transformational, developing less intensive, lower-cost approaches to restore ecological processes and improve climate resilience. However, there is still a great deal of uncertainty about the impacts of such livestock, how they are perceived by stakeholders (Austen et al, 2021) and how cost effective they are compared to other, more traditional conservation approaches (Armsworth et al, 2011). Working together with Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT), this project will adopt an interdisciplinary approach to help inform future wilding projects and provide broader insights into conservation management effectiveness.

Research methodology

This project will primarily focus on Kent, as well as using national and European-level evidence to explore the role of current and potential role of large herbivores in (re)wilding projects. The student will be encouraged to develop their own research agenda, which could incorporate: (1) undertaking a systematic review and/or fieldwork to investigate the impacts of different species of large herbivore in (re)wilding projects; (2) using Q-methodology to explore stakeholder perspectives; (3) using the Kent systematic conservation planning system to identify the locations and extent of current and potential (re)wilding projects, and; (4) assessing the economic costs and/or initial ecological benefits of using different large herbivore populations.

Training

The student will be based at DICE, working closely with KWT, and will receive additional training from Kent Graduate School. They are likely to analyse data using R and QGIS. They will also learn skills such as academic writing, giving conference presentations and time management.

Person specification

Applicants to a PhD programme should hold a good Honours degree (First or 2:1) and a Master’s Degree (at Merit or Distinction) in a relevant discipline, or the equivalent from an internationally recognised institution.

The University of Kent requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. For more information on English language requirements, please visit this page.

A highly motivated student interested in interdisciplinary conservation science and a desire to produce high-impact, policy-relevant research. The candidate should have a degree in conservation, ecology or environmental sciences and strong analytical skills.

Key Information

Institute scholars will receive the following:

• Annual stipend at UKRI rates (£17,668 in 2022/23);
• Annual tuition fees at Home rates (£4,596 in 2022/23)

2023/24 rates to be announced. 

Home and International candidates are eligible to apply but international candidates must provide evidence on how they would cover the difference between home and international fee rates.

Candidates should apply by 23:59 GMT on 17th February 2023 using the online application form.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview taking place the week commencing 6 March 2023.