Effects of climate change on the interrelation between biodiversity, ecosystem function and services in ponds

The University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic – UCC) is a young and very dynamic university in Central Catalonia, with a special commitment to quality education, innovative research and internationalization. The Aquatic Ecology Group of UVic-UCC is formed by a young team of researchers and has recently been granted a Horizon 2020 grant to lead the project PONDERFUL: Pond ecosystems for resilient future landscapes in a changing climate. The consortium is composed by 18 partners from nine European states and from Turkey and Uruguay.

PONDERFUL aims are to increase understanding of the ways in which ponds, as a nature-based solution, can help society to mitigate and adapt to climate change, protect biodiversity and deliver ecosystem services. PONDERFUL project starts in December 2020 and lasts for 4 years.

We are looking to hire a full-time pre-doctoral researcher for 3 years, which will be connected to PONDERFUL research project. The PhD will be supervised by Drs. Sandra Brucet and Mireia Bartrons.

Topic:

The successful candidate will be part of our team studying how climate change may alter the interrelationships between biodiversity, ecosystem function and services. The work will be based on empirical data and targeted case studies.

The candidate will deal with, among others, the following tasks:

  • Sampling ponds in Catalonia (NE Spain)
  • Counting and identifying invertebrates
  • Quantifying specific ecosystem functions
  • Publishing results in peer-reviewed journals
  • Presenting results at scientific meetings.

Requirements:

  • Master degree in a topic with links to aquatic ecology
  • Excellent academic record
  • Excellent writing skills
  • Experience in the analysis of quantitative data are a requirement
  • Strong motivation to work in a collaborative environment

Please send your CV, including your Grade Point Average (GPA), to Dr. Mireia Bartrons (mireia.bartrons@uvic.cat)

Consideration of candidates will continue until the position is filled.

For further information please contact Dr. Mireia Bartrons or Dr. Sandra Brucet (sandra.brucet@uvic.cat)