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Project properties |
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| Title | Ecosystems responses to extreme rainfall across Svalbard ecosystems |
| Group | Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Rúna Magnússon |
| Examiner(s) | Rúna Magnússon, Juul Limpens |
| Contact info | runa.magnusson@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2022/10/01 |
| End date | 2025/10/01 |
| Description | !!! Field season 2024 FULL -> I will know more about opportunities in 2025 after the summer season. You're very welcome for a lab or data based project, or for advise on opportunities in other Arctic studies/fieldwork .
How will Arctic ecosystems function under climate warming? At PEN (Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation), one of our research focuses is how tundra plant communities and permafrost respond to climatic change interactively. Arctic ecosystems are warming several times faster than the global average, with far-reaching consequences for vegetation communities, permafrost and Arctic wildlife. Apart from temperatures, rainfall extremes are projected to occur more often in a warmer future Arctic. For a research project on Svalbard, in which we use an experimental set-up to simulate heavy rainfall events in summer, we are looking for several motivated MSc students with diverse interests to study ecosystem responses to such heavy rainfall events. We work across disciplines (climate, earth science, ecology) and across trophic levels. Fieldwork will take place around Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, in collaboration with researchers from the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Stockholm University and NIOO/NIOZ. Do you have what it takes to conduct fieldwork in the Arctic with us? Topics we’re hoping to fill are: The effect of extreme rainfall on: 1. Soil thermal regime and permafrost integrity 2. Phenology, composition and productivity of vegetation 3. Food availability and quality for herbivores (geese, reindeer) 4. Arthropod emergence and abundance 5. Polar willow (Salix polaris) radial growth (dendrochronology) We are looking for MSc* students who: - .. are, ideally, willing to write a small research proposal and budget plan to apply for an Arctic Field Grant before November 16th. - .. have experience with longer field campaigns and are mentally resilient, also during setbacks and logistic challenges. You will have to take field safety very seriously and follow specialized training. Experience with Arctic conditions and possession of a weapon’s license (e.g. from coursework at UNIS) would be beneficial too but not a necessity. - .. are physically fit (we generally aim for 5 or 6 field days a week which consist mostly of physical labor). - .. are available for fieldwork starting early to mid-June 2023 and continuing during July and potentially part of August. You will enroll as a guest student at UNIS to access student facilities. - --> Not sure if you qualify? Just write to us :) *) Due to the duration of the fieldwork and responsibilities involved we prefer MSc students, but highly qualified BSc students (e.g. with experience in Arctic fieldwork) can apply. Team Rúna Magnússon (PEN), Juul Limpens (PEN), Simone Lang (Arctic Biology, UNIS), Sil Schuuring (Arctic Biology, UNIS), Alexandra Hamm (Physical Geography, Stockholm University), Mo Verhoeven (Avian Ecology, NIOO/NIOZ). Questions and applications can be sent to Rúna Magnússon: runa.magnusson@wur.nl |
| Used skills | field monitoring, experimental design, dendrochronology, possibly drone monitoring |
| Requirements | - you will write a (small) grant proposal to apply for funding for fieldwork
- experience with intensive field campaigns - you take field safety seriously and you're mentally resilient - able to do intensive fieldwork for 5-6 days a week in june, july and potentially part of august |