Rapid rate of biodiversity loss, and growing awareness of impacts on human wellbeing, has resulted in policies that infrastructure development should deliver a Net Gain in biodiversity. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is development that leaves biodiversity in a measurably better state than before by avoiding and minimize impacts, before offsetting residual biodiversity loss. Major companies in the UK and internationally (including bp, Highways England, the Berkley Group) have made voluntary commitments and soon developers in England will be required by law to deliver a minimum 10% increase in ‘biodiversity units’. BNG poses a challenge for ecology as requires measuring biodiversity; an inherently complex concept. In England, DEFRA’s metric is used which calculates ‘biodiversity units’ based on attributes of habitats including distinctiveness and condition with risk multipliers account for potential failures (delivery risk) and time taken for restored habitats to reach condition (temporal risk). However, the metric (now in its 3rd iteration) is controversial and its ability to quanitify biodiversity effectively has not been rigourously explored. This project will bring together ecological theory, data modelling, and stakeholder interviews to explore: 1) The ways biodiversity is measured around the world in BNG (or related schemes). 2) The extent to which the DEFRA metric aligns with other measures of biodiversity (e.g. taxonomic diversity, functional diversity and evolutionary distinctiveness). 3) How precisely the metric can detect change? 4) How delivery risk and temporal risk can be best incorporated? 5) How optimal monitoring theory could evaluate which indicators offer the greatest efficiency? 6) Potential win-wins between BNG and other environmental targets such as flood resilience. 7) The relationship between biodiversity units generated by a Net Gain offset and how local stakeholders value offsets. The project will contribute new understanding of biodiversity measurement as well as actionable information to improve outcomes for nature from infrastructure development.
Eligibility
Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK Honors Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in Environmental Science, Ecology, Statistics (or a related degree). They should have strong quantitative skills, preferably with knowledge of R software. Applicants with Masters degrees, relevant research experience, or publications will be highly competitive. Interest and willingness to engage with industry is also essential.
Enquiries
For further details please contact Julia Jones
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