Prof M Rufino, Prof John Quinton
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Managed grasslands may sequester carbon, offsetting some of the land-use change emissions. However, there is much uncertainty on the contribution of soils to negative emissions, suggesting that this potential is overestimated. Current models are calibrated with experimental data, biased towards ecosystems from temperate climates. Grazing pressure, soil type and rainfall seem to play fundamental roles determining whether grasslands become sink of sources of C. Availability of N, P and macronutrients in excreta change plant species distribution and modify C uptake and decomposition. Whether grasslands sequester C depends on the delicate balance between the processes affecting storage of C and its decomposition. This project will advance the knowledge on drivers and processes for tropical grasslands and guide data collection to test the validity and robustness of existing ecosystem models. Models outputs are needed to inform decision makers which tropical grasslands contribute to landscape-level mitigation, and under which conditions.
Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK Honours Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in subjects such as Environmental Science, Plant Science or Ecology.
For further details please contact Prof Mariana Rufino [Email Address Removed]
Funding Notes
The studentships are fully funded for UK residents*, with fees paid and a stipend of £14,296 (2016/17 rate) tax-free per year. There is also a research training support grant to support the project. Usually a studentship is for three and a half years.
*Full studentships are available to UK and EU candidates who have been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of an award. EU candidates who have not been ordinarily resident in the UK for the last 3 years are eligible for "tuition fees-only" awards (no maintenance grant). Unfortunately studentships are not available to International students. Further details about eligibility can be found on the STARS website.
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