Plants with Purpose: Enhancing flood management and multi-functional performance of green infrastructure by evaluating plant functional traits

Join our innovative new research programme making a practical difference to urban life using Nature-based Solutions.

Climate change is causing ever worsening social, practical, and economic shocks for urban communities. Traditional urban planning and grey infrastructure offer limited opportunities for managing hydrometeorological hazards such as flash flooding and extreme heat waves. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and green infrastructure (such as biodiverse green spaces, rain gardens, sustainable drainage ponds, bioswales, green roofs, tree pits, etc.) offer a holistic route towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 by simultaneously addressing climate, biodiversity, and human wellbeing challenges. However, there are significant gaps in knowledge and practise that need to be overcome before NbS can be successfully adopted across society (Consumer Scotland, 2023). This project tackles one such gap: how do we design and maintain green infrastructure systems using plants most effectively to maximise the function and benefits of NbS?

RBGE’s newly launched ‘Plants with Purpose’ programme takes a focussed look at plant selection and performance within green infrastructure across Scotland to:

1. Advance our understanding of plant functional traits and the impacts of plant choice on ecosystem service delivery (right plant, right place);
2. Provide the evidence, tools, skills and confidence for water sector professionals to monitor and improve the long-term, multi-functional performance of green infrastructure; and
3. Encourage greater awareness and adoption of nature-based solutions to urban challenges across all levels of society.

This PhD is embedded within a collaborative team based at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), Heriot-Watt University and Scottish Water. Using an experimental approach, the successful candidate will evaluate the functional traits of commercially available and native Scottish plants and analyse their performance in delivering beneficial ecosystem services under a range of changing environmental conditions and stressors.

Proposed work areas:

The student will address research questions aimed at optimising the long-term multi-functional performance of urban green infrastructure towards the greater adoption of NbS approaches across society. These questions include:

RQ1) Which plants and traits are best suited for optimising the long-term flood management benefits and multi-functional performance of green infrastructure systems in Scotland and the UK?

RQ2) Which currently under-utilised plant species and cultivars (including native species) should be prioritised and adopted for urban green infrastructure plant selection due to their suitability, evapotranspirative behaviour and multiple beneficial functions?

RQ3) What does a robust measurement framework for hydrological and ecological performance entail, and how can this framework at the individual plant or planting feature scale be applied to neighbourhood-, city-, catchment- and landscape-level development?

RQ4) How does urban planting impact the uptake of urban green infrastructure, and how can plant choice be used to increase the speed at which successful NbS can be adopted and integrated across society?

The PhD will adopt an interdisciplinary approach giving the student the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills. Potential methods include systematic reviews of plant traits and NbS performance, development and study of experimental testbeds, numerical modelling and upscaling (e.g. Flood Modeller, LISFlood or SWMM) and community-based research methods (e.g. citizen science monitoring, social survey, participatory mapping, and qualitative data analyses).

Research environment:

The student will have dual access to the research communities within RBGE and Heriot-Watt University (HWU).

This project fits within RBGE’s wider work on nature and community-based solutions for the urban environment, ‘Plants with Purpose’ research programme, and the development of a ‘Living Lab’ of real-world NbS applications. This programme builds on RBGE’s legacy in urban ecology (e.g. Hyam 2020; Krivtsov et al. 2022; Miller, Krivtsov, and Cohen 2022; Kelly et al. 2020), NbS innovation on our estates (e.g. the Edinburgh raingarden and Dawyck green roof), and long-term community and partnership work (e.g. the Edinburgh Living Landscape, The Good City, Edinburgh Shoreline and Square Meter for Butterflies). The successful applicant will contribute within a cohort of PhD students (Students nearmejobs.eu Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (rbge.org.uk)) with access to an internationally renowned group of Scientists and Postgraduate Researchers within our Science department.

The student will be registered with HWU and embedded within a team of PhD and Postdoctoral Researchers building upon the NbS Research Group within the School of Energy, Geosciences, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS). The student will have access to laboratory and testing facilities on the HWU Edinburgh Campus (including a green roof testing facility, integrated slope/rainfall simulator facility, and potential to develop soil mesocosm experiments).

Training: Specific training will be available in ecology, hydrometeorology, horticulture, social science and numerical modelling methods, and on the ethics and practicalities of working in urban systems. Support for statistical methods and data handling is also available through MSc-level courses, access to BIOSS training programs, and bespoke funded opportunities.

Requirements and eligibility: This project will suit a student with a background in ecology, geography, research horticulture or a similar field, but we welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and experience. An interdisciplinary approach and a willingness to learn new experimental and analytical methods are vital, alongside enthusiasm to operate as part of the wider NbS teams here at RBGE and HWU. This is an exciting and rapidly growing field in which the student will have the opportunity to make a real difference to urban sustainability.

The successful candidate will have at least an upper second-class (2:1) undergraduate honours degree in the relevant subject area and ideally a Masters Degree. We may also consider candidates who can demonstrate appropriate alternative learning, such as experience gained in the workplace or professional qualifications.

Supervisory Team: Dr Emma Bush (RBGE), Caitlyn Johnstone (RBGE), Dr Daniel Green (Herriot-Watt University), Dr Chris Ellis (RBGE) and Lucy Broadie (Scottish Water).

How to apply: Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the team to discuss this opportunity before applying (naturebased@rbge.org.uk ).

To apply, please send your CV (including details for 2 academic referees) and a Cover Letter (2 pages) outlining your reasons for applying for this project and your relevant experience to naturebased@rbge.org.uk by 5pm on the 2^nd August.

Interviews (preferably in-person) will be held at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh between 12^th and 23^rd August, with an expected start date of October 2024.