Landscape Dynamics and Ecology
Location: Highfield Campus
Salary: £34,980 to £37,099 per annum
Full Time Fixed Term until 30/09/2026
Closing Date: Monday 18 March 2024
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Reference: 2623824WR
University of Southampton, School of Geography & Environmental Science (SoGES).
A range of metrics show freshwater ecosystems as amongst the most vulnerable to social-ecological tipping points on global scales, yet systematic solutions for their recovery or restoration are not available anywhere in the world. Restoring a lake that has undergone a regime shift is not straightforward, with hysteresis and the strength of new feedback loops often causing failure. The School of Geography and Environmental Science is seeking to appoint a Research Fellow position in Systems Modelling. This position will work under the exciting NERC-funded project ‘Recovery pathways for lake ecosystems’ awarded to Prof. Pete Langdon and colleagues. The project goal is to quantify the balance of factors influencing the recovery of freshwater ecosystems from undesirable (eutrophic) states. We aim to provide a unifying theoretical and practical framework for understanding what drivers and within-lake processes influence lake recovery pathways. This will be developed through three work packages, comprising data assimilation (WP1), empirical analyses (WP2) and system-based modelling (WP3). While the successful candidate will be stationed within WP3, this research will involve working with lake system stakeholders across all three WPs.
The researcher will develop, parameterise, validate and apply a novel systems-based modelling framework to simulate the multidimensional causes of regime shifts and recoveries in different freshwater lake systems under different conditions of lake size/depth, drivers and system complexity, using specialist systems dynamics modelling software (e.g., STELLA). These models will be informed by the empirical datasets generated in WP1 and WP2 and will be used to test plausible management scenarios to facilitate lake recovery, with five key outputs, focused around:
(i) Identifying recovery pathways associated with different pre-collapse stressor trajectories (i.e. gradients and noise), alternative states (i.e. post-collapse) and outcome variables of interest.
(ii) Understanding how the number, combinations and strengths of reinforcing and balancing feedback structures influence the timescale of lake recovery, the presence of recovery pathways and the best timing of lake restoration efforts.
(iii) Analysing trade-offs where recoveries are associated with unintended consequences.
(iv) Predicting pathways that forewarn decision-makers about the efforts needed for long-term recovery, and how alternative management practices are generalisable to different lake contexts.
(v) Making the models and associated R code publicly available via open access dissemination, and working with stakeholders on how to apply the models in practice.
The post is tenable from 1st September 2024 and is fixed term for 2 years.
The School of Geography and Environmental Science is committed to fostering a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from candidates belonging to groups who are under-represented within academic posts at the University, including, but not limited to: people from Black and minority ethnic groups; and disabled people. The School is committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offers a range of family friendly policies, flexi-time and flexible working. We are a Disability Confident employer and the School holds a bronze Athena Swan award.
For further information on the different Southampton research groups related to this position, please see: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/groups/landscape-dynamics-ecology;
https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/groups/ecology-evolution
For further enquiries please contact Prof. Simon Willcock (simon.willcock@rothamsted.ac.uk) as WP3 lead or Prof. Pete Langdon (p.g.langdon@soton.ac.uk) as Project lead.
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We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applicants who support our mission of inclusivity.
Apply by midnight on the closing date. For assistance contact Recruitment on +44(0)2380 592750 or recruitment@soton.ac.uk quoting the job number.
