Dr A Hardy
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
As a research student, you will become part of Earth Observation and Ecosystem Dynamics (EOED) group with a track record in using EO for the monitoring and understanding of forest environments as well as a range of other applications (https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/iges/research-groups/earth-observation-laboratory/). Over the course of the PhD studentship, you will become an important member of this team and will develop invaluable skills in the processing and analysis of multiple forms of EO data using open-source software developed within the EOED group. Software developed by the EOED group have been adopted by a number of high-level institutes such as the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Japanese Space Agency.
The project works in tandem with the company SelectFor (http://www.selectfor.com/) who specialise in Continuous cover forestry: a method of management that aims to decrease the environmental impact of forestry operations by selectively felling trees (as opposed to clear felling) that have grown to an optimal point for timber value while maintaining the stand structure. Crucial to this approach is the ability to quantify a range of biophysical parameters including a suite of dendrological criteria and structural stand components, including canopy volume, gaps and overall condition of the system. Monitoring the growth of the largest individual trees to determine the optimal time for felling to maximise timber value is a key element of the project.
Airborne LiDAR has been widely used for monitoring large forest stands throughout the world however such datasets are expensive to acquire making them less economically viable, particularly for monitoring smaller forest stands. However, advances in technology have led to the development of relatively small LiDAR systems which can be mounted on UAVs. As part of a £600,000 investment in UAV technology by Aberystwyth University, we have acquired a large range of platforms and sensors, including a UAV-LiDAR. As part of the project, you will lead surveys (including flight planning and operating the system) using the new UAV-LiDAR system as the collection additional datasets such as UAV optical imagery and in-situ measures of biophysical parameters.
One of the key project aims is to integrate this high-resolution UAV derived information with information obtained from broader scale satellite-based EO data. Specifically, you will be exploiting the rich data source provided by ESA’s Sentinel-1 (SAR) and Sentinel-2 (multi-spectral optical) satellite systems and assess the ability of backscatter and reflectance information for quantifying biophysical forest parameters at a broader scale (i.e., scaling up the UAV measurements into a monitoring system).
Following the completion of this work, recommendations will be made as to the relative effectiveness of the range of EO data for deriving forest parameters in the context of the continuous forestry sector (and other appropriate applications). These recommendations will be based on an evaluation of the accuracy of the EO-derived information together with an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the various systems and approaches.
The prospective applicant should have a minimum of a 1st or good 2:1 in a relevant degree, and be available to take up the studentship by 30th January 2017.
To apply, please submit the following to the Postgraduate Admissions Office (email [Email Address Removed]) by 19th December 2016.
1. A completed Research Programme Application Form, plus two references submitted by the deadline. Application and reference forms may be downloaded from http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/howtoapply/.
2. A completed KESS II Participant proposal form (put the reference number AU20002 in the top right hand box of the application form) and an up-to-date CV. KESS II application forms are available to download at the link below.
http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/rbi/staff-students/knowledge-economy-skills-scholarships/currentscholarshipvacanciesandapplicationforms/
3. A PhD proposal of up to 1,000 words where you expand on your experience and interests and describe why you are a good candidate for this research studentship. Please refer to the Project Description.
Informal enquiries should be made to Andy Hardy at [Email Address Removed] or 01970 621522.
Quote Reference AU20002
Closing date for applications 19th December 2016
Funding Notes
Part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the European Union’s Convergence programme. KESS II PhD scholarships are collaborative awards with external partners. Each scholarship is exempt from registration fees, provides a stipend of £14,002 pa, plus a budget for travel, equipment/consumables and training. The achievement of a Postgraduate Skills Development Award (PSDA) is compulsory, and PhD Theses must be submitted 6 months after the funded three year period. Eligibility: on starting the scholarship you must be resident in the Convergence Area of Wales (https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/media/departmental/ccs/kess/convergence-map.pdf) and eligible to take paid employment in the area on completion of the scholarship.
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