PhD Biodiversity responses to regenerative livestock practices

Job description

In the project you will: 1) Use existing and collect new data to develop spatially explicit habitat suitability models for indicator forest and grassland bird species, sensitive to regenerative practices and landscape spatial configuration in Espinal woodlands in Argentina, 2) validate the performance and explore scenarios with stakeholders using the species-specific habitat suitability model in farms with conventional and regenerative livestock management practices, 3) link habitat requirements for indicator bird species with socio-economic and productive indicators at farm scale in farmer collectives (trade-offs analysis). A multidisciplinary approach will be adopted to investigate the relationship between regenerative livestock practices and habitat requirements for indicator bird species. Species-specific responses to vegetation changes will be explored on farms with varying grazing intensities and management practices, building on previous research. Results will be discussed with farmers to guide collective decision-making and inform policy recommendations.

Research environment

Research will be first mainly performed during the first 19 months in the Conservation Ecology group at the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), to be followed for the next 29 months mainly at INTA, Paraná Agricultural Experimental Station (EEA), Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, Argentina, with field work across Argentina.

This is position AR-PhD1 of the Curvebend program in which 8 PhD students and 2 postdocs across 9 institutions will collaborate to investigate how to restore biodiversity and promote a nature-positive society through mobilisation of collective action at the landscape level - a program working on three continents worldwide with a focus on livestock-dominated landscapes.

Organisations

Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative institution of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Flexible study programs and academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 34,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, the University of Groningen has joined forces with other top universities and networks worldwide to become a truly global center of knowledge.

The Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA) based in Buenos Aires, Argentina is a research institute of the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries department of the Ministry of Economy of the government of Argentina. Through research and extension, INTA contributes to the innovation and sustainable development of the agricultural, agri-food and agro-industrial sectors in Argentina.

Qualifications

We are looking for a motivated and skilled student with a MSc degree in Biology or related disciplines such as Ecology, Environmental or Agricultural sciences. Basic knowledge of remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), and the R statistical program is appreciated, as well as background or interest in participatory and social methods. The successful candidate should have a strong commitment to transdisciplinary research and willingness to travel and reside intermittently between the Netherlands and Argentina. Good verbal and written communication skills in Spanish and English (TOEFL iBT 90+ level or equivalent) are required. Knowledge and experience on the target production systems is an advantage.

Organisation

Conditions of employment

For the University of Groningen part of the position (first 19 months) we offer you, following the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• A salary of € 2,901 gross per month in the first year, and € 3,707 gross per month in the last year for a full-time working week.
• A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income and an 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance.
• A full-time (1.0 FTE) position for 19 months, first, you will get a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another 7 months; prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that successful completion of the PhD thesis within four years is to be expected. A PhD training program is part of the agreement and you will be enrolled in the Graduate School of the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

For the subsequent 29 months of the position affiliated with INTA, Argentina, INTA offers you an allowance of € 1,000 per month.