Investigating food webs in and around streams under forest-to-bog restoration in the Flow Country
Application deadline: June 28th, 12.00
Project description
In this 6-10 week project, the student will use an existing network of camera traps set up by the PhD mentor to determine how birds and small mammals use streams draining catchments with different dominant land uses (plantation forestry, “forest-to-bog” restoration, near-natural bog) in the Flow Country, the largest area of blanket bog in Europe and candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site. The project will revolve around development of ways to sort through camera trap imagery efficiently. The camera trap imagery will be used to derive diversity and activity data in and around the streams of interests.
As part of the Thurso-based placement, the student will be able to develop their own investigation regarding what may be driving differences – or lack thereof – in bird and mammal activity/diversity between the streams. The placement will also include site visits in the Flow Country to download images, tutoring in species identification, GIS and programming software.
During the project, the student will also have the opportunity to help the mentor PhD student deploy and recover invertebrate traps co-located with the camera traps, to take part in training for invertebrate identification and microscopy and to shadow the mentor PhD student during water sampling campaigns and subsequent laboratory analyses.
Eligibility:
Prospective applicants should
- Be undertaking their first undergraduate degree studies (or integrated Masters)*
- Be applying for a placement in a different department to their undergraduate degree
In addition, applicants should be:
- A UK citizen, OR
- An EU citizen with pre- or settled status under the EU settlement scheme, OR
- A non-EU citizen who has obtained the right to remain in the UK, OR
- An International/EU student already studying in the UK and currently under a Tier 4 or Student Route Visa with validity until at least October 2021.
*Recent graduates are not eligible for this opportunity.
Application process
To apply, please download, fill and send the application form to roxane.andersen@uhi.ac.uk
Further details about the NERC REP scheme can be found here
Further information about the SUPER DTP programme can be found here
For more information, email us at: roxane.andersen@uhi.ac.uk or liam.godwin@uhi.ac.uk
