Ecologically-based temperate rainforest restoration: effectiveness for biodiversity recovery, carbon sequestration and resilience

The UK has a very reduced and fragmented woodland area. Temperate rainforests on the western coastal and uplands zone of the country are amongst the most depleted of our woodland ecosystems, and have recently been identified as the highest priority for restoration. However, the sites available for this (with the lowest value for food production) present an extreme challenge for restoration due to adverse soil conditions and frequently dominance by bracken and other highly competitive plant species. We have a serious lack of scientific evidence to inform the most effective restoration methods for such sites, and this project is targeted at filling this evidence gap. It will also tackle the need for improved methods to monitor the key indicators of restoration success, which are important to incentivise future rainforest restoration.

This fully-funded PhD project is a component of the Wildlife Trust’s Temperate rainforest restoration programme, in partnership with Aviva https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/temperate-rainforest-restoration. It will integrate research to test the most effective approach to ecologically-based woodland restoration by (i) determining the critical factors for success at the key tree-establishment phase of restoration on sites where substrate conditions, competitive vegetation (especially bracken) and browsing pressure are major limitations, linked to (ii) development of monitoring methods (targeted at the trajectory of net carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery and indicators of resilience).

A rigorous randomized-control-trial experiment will be designed and established in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) to test: alternative methods of site preparation, tree species selection, tree source material (planted seedlings, direct seeding or natural regeneration), co-establishment with robust shrub species, follow-up control of bracken competition. A monitoring protocol will be developed (focused on measurement and sampling of aboveground biomass, soil carbon and nitrogen stocks and moisture regime, above- and below-ground biodiversity indicators, tree survival and growth), implemented at baseline and over three growing seasons, and analysed.

A chronosequence set of previously restored woodlands across a wider area of Wales and northern England will be selected and used to develop, test and model longer-term monitoring methods (comparing conventional plot-based inventory of trees with mobile laser scanning), ground flora and soil, with a particular focus on rates of ecosystem carbon stock increase and biodiversity recovery. This will fill key evidence gaps of the longer-term successional trajectory and resilience, with key implications for species selection/phasing of initial stages of restoration, adaptive management, and yield class data for non-commercial rainforest tree species poorly characterised in the UK carbon code.

Impact is a key objective of the project. Therefore, your role in the project will also feature communication of the project’s work and findings (in collaboration with the WTSWW) with a diversity of stakeholders in the conservation and forestry sectors, including government policy makers, professionals, NGOs/community-woodland organisations (including Woodland Trust, Royal Forestry Society and Small Woods Association), scientists (British Ecological Society), the farming sector and the broader public – capitalising on Bangor University’s strong links across this spectrum. You will use a range of different tailored approaches, including video/social media, text and photographic blog updates, hosting open-day visits, at least one magazine article and, in the later stages of the project, production of technical reports and a policy brief, presentations at workshops and at least one major conference.

Your role at Bangor University will include opportunities to gain experience in teaching and co-supervision of BSc and MSc student projects carried out in collaboration with the main project.

The lead supervisor of the project is Professor John Healey at Bangor University, Co-supervisors at Bangor University are Dr Marielle Smith, and Dr Bid Webb. Co-supervisor in the Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales is Adam Dawson, Conservation Officer.

The project will also benefit from collaboration with other close project partners including the Woodland Trust and other members of the Alliance for Wales’ Rainforests.

The successful candidate will be expected to meet the following criteria:

· Hold or expect to obtain at least an upper second-class honours degree and/or masters degree in Biology, Geography, Conservation, Forestry (or other form of land management), Environmental Science or related discipline. Knowledge and skills gained through non-academic experience will also be taken into consideration.

· Have successful experience of project management and conducting independent research, e.g. having completed a high-quality MSc research project

· Have successful experience of fieldwork, including in challenging conditions (terrain, weather etc.) either through previous research or in a job or through voluntary work

· Have good mathematical and computer-based analysis skills; experience in writing computer code (e.g. in R) would be advantageous

· Demonstrate strong communication skills, especially in academic/scientific/technical writing

· Demonstrate excellent organisational and time management abilities

· Demonstrate a strong commitment and enthusiasm for forest/woodland restoration

Additional criteria

· While it is not essential that the candidate has a full UK driving licence and would have access to a car during the PhD, the project will involve repeated travel between Bangor and South-West Wales, as well as accessing a number of remote woodland sites in West Wales and northern England. While public transport is available for some of these journeys it is slow, and lack of independent road transport would be a major constraint in accessing field sites with your field equipment. The project has a budget to pay the costs of using a private vehicle.

· Direct experience of field measurement and sampling of soils, laboratory analysis of soils, ecological inventory of woodlands (trees and some components of biodiversity) and use of electronic survey equipment would all be advantageous, but if the appointed candidate lacks these, suitable training will be provided.

· Candidates returning to academia/research from a career break, a job, internship or a voluntary role are welcomed.

· If you meet the other criteria for this post, but are constrained from undertaking a PhD full-time, you should contact Professor Healey in advance to discuss the options.