Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Biology programme. The position is available from February 2025 or later.

Title:
Characterizing plant biodiversity using spectroscopy, taxonomy and plant functional traits across landscapes undergoing transformative change

Research area and project description:

The Earth system is changing rapidly in the face of global change with highly uncertain consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Monitoring ecosystems is critical to better understand these consequences and to guide action, for example for sustainable land management. New remote sensing approaches, such as imaging spectroscopy, can shed new insights on various aspects of plant structure, function and resilience, when coupled with ground data, models and experiments. To use this potential in the future, methods need to be developed and tested to link the spectral signal to information about plant species, functional and structural traits and diversity.

We need to deepen our understanding of the spectral signal in remote sensing and in-situ observations, and how spectral properties relate to plant taxonomy (e.g. species, genus or family) and plant functional traits. The goal is to study relationships between plant species, spectral reflectance and plant functional traits at the leaf level, which can be used for species classification and biodiversity assessments.

To this purpose, the PhD candidate will be expected to contribute to establishing spectral reference measurements, taxonomic surveys and plant trait measurements on the ground. This includes leaf spectroscopy of various plant species and phenotypes using field spectroradiometers to build a database of leaf reflectance within and across plant species or crop types. Spectral measurements will ideally be complemented by in-situ measurements of foliar traits such as leaf chlorophyll, water or leaf mass per area. Existing spectral and trait databases such as EcoSIS and TRY will be explored to complement these measurements.

This PhD position will focus on natural and agricultural landscapes, and mainly contribute to the Center for Landscape Research in Sustainable Agricultural Futures (Land-CRAFT) with the vision to provide a novel framework that tests and assesses the sustainability of agricultural production, both within Denmark and globally. The candidate will be associated to the Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity (ECOINF), Department of Biology, and Center for Sustainable Landscapes Under Global Change (SustainScapes).

The candidate is also expected to use auxiliary information to put the research in the context of environmental factors (climate, soil, topography), ecosystem phenology, past disturbances or land use (change), among other factors. This could include the analyses of satellite remote sensing data.

The PhD candidate will work directly with Prof. Fabian D. Schneider, under the supervision of Prof. Signe Normand. It is also possible to get support from the data science team in the centers.

Applicants are encouraged to submit an individual project proposal of 1 to 2 pages, showing how the applicant’s methodological competences can be used for the research and demonstrating the applicant’s understanding of related research, including referenced literature. The successful candidate will, after approval from the graduate school, further develop a project plan in collaboration with the supervisors.

Please upload a project description (½-4 pages). This document should describe your ideas and research plans for this specific project. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found.

Qualifications and specific competences:

We are seeking highly motivated PhD candidates interested in a scientific career. The applicant should hold an internal fascination for the topic, be independent, have excellent writing skills, and should be enthusiastic about working in an interdisciplinary and international academic environment.

Applicants are expected to have a master’s degree within biology, geography or geoscience and have experience with:

• Geospatial and statistical analyses of ecological or environmental data, ideally with good programming skills using R, Python, or similar
• Plant functional ecology or biogeography, ideally including an understanding of light interactions with leaves, plant canopies and plant communities
• Analyses of remote sensing data or products, ideally including field or imaging spectroscopy.

We expect the candidate to have strong knowledge and/or strong interest in biodiversity, agricultural systems, ecosystem change, new remote sensing techniques and the main Danish or European landscapes.

Important personal qualities are to be creative, good at problem-solving, a team-worker, independent, well structured, and keen to work across disciplines and societal sectors. Very good oral and written communication skills in English (fluent English) are expected. Holding a B driver’s license is an advantage.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is The place of employment is Aarhus University, Department of Biology, Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity (ECOINF), Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C. The hired PhD student will be part of Center for Sustainable Landscapes under Global Change (SustainScapes)., Denmark. 

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information for this project are invited to contact: Professor Signe Nordmand, signe.normand@bio.au.dk or Assitant Professor Fabian Daniel Schneider

How to apply:

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see the Application guide. Please read the Application guide thoroughly before applying.

When ready to apply, go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ (Note, the online application system opens 1 September 2024)

1. Choose November 2024 Call with deadline 1 November 2024 at 23:59 CEST.
2. You will be directed to the call and must choose the programme “Biology”.
3. In the boxed named “Study”: In the dropdown menu, please choose: “Characterizing plant biodiversity using spectroscopy, taxonomy and plant functional traits across landscapes undergoing transformative change (Cpbust)”

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• The project will only be initiated if the graduate school/the faculty grants funding.

At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.