Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Department of Ecology in Ultuna.
1 PhD student in the research education subject: Ecology.
Link: http://www.slu.se/?id=1123&Utbildningsplatser_id=300
Last date of application 19 December 2008.

"Ecology and management of multiple ecosystem services - crop pollination and biological pest control".

Intensified agriculture in Europe has lead to changes in the landscape with serious implications for biodiversity. Several groups of beneficial insects such as pollinators and parasitoids are negatively impacted.
These changes in insect communities have potential importance for the provisioning of ecosystem services such as pollination of crops and biological control of pest insects. Management strategies need to be developed to safeguard biodiversity and the services they provide for agriculture. Crop pollination is poorly studied, despite its great importance for the majority of world crops. Even less is know about how crop pollination interacts and can be combined with other key ecosystem services such as biological control of crop pests.

Work Description: One PhD student will enter a research team with extensive national and international collaborations in the field. The student will explore how the landscape around clover fields should be structured in order to conserve and enhance pollinators and natural enemies of crop pests. The student will explore the ecology of the food web consisting of the crop plant, pollinators, seed eating insects, and the parasitoids on the seed eaters. The student will develop and test cultivation schemes in clover that enhance crop yield via pollination and pest control.

The position is part of the projects CLOVER “Pollination and pest control in organic CLOVER” (http://www2.ekol.slu.se/clover), and SCALES “Securing the Conservation of biodiversity across Administrative Levels and spatial, temporal, and Ecological Scales”, financed by FORMAS/EKOFORSK and the EU 7th framework programme respectively. The position is based at the Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden, and is part of a collaboration with Lund University. Most field work in the summers will take place in southern Sweden (in the regions Skåne and Östergötland).

Qualifications: The suitable candidate has a MSc exam in biology, agronomy, environmental science or similar subjects, with specialisation in ecology or entomology. Advanced level courses in population and community ecology, theoretical ecology, and entomology are meriting, as are documented abilities to do field work, to communicate well in written and spoken English, and to have an undergraduate thesis project in ecology connected to the position’s subject. The candidate should have the ability to work independently, take own initiatives, and have an interest in combining basic and applied ecological questions. Driving license is necessary.

Forms for funding or employment: Employment as a PhD student

Last date of application 19 December 2008