PhD Studentship : The clock is ticking time lags & nature recovery

Global biodiversity targets are repeatedly not met despite increasing conservation efforts. While in some cases this is due to inappropriate interventions or external pressures, in other cases, this is due to time lags in species’ responses to conservation efforts. Ecological time lags occur when there is a change to an ecosystem and species’ do not respond immediately. Extinction debt occurs following habitat destruction or degradation, and has been the focus of many theoretical and empirical studies. The converse of this is ‘colonisation credit’ – where species’ do not respond immediately to restoration efforts.

While there is an understanding that colonisation credit is a pervasive phenomena following habitat creation and restoration, there has been a failure to translate this ecological process into policy targets. Perhaps, because the empirical evidence for such lags is incomplete. These time lags suggest that when setting conservation targets, we also need to be setting milestones to ensure progress is on track.

The aim of this project is to provide an empirical basis for ecological time lags across species, scales and ecosystems. Building on theoretical and modelling work led by PI Graham and Co-I Watts, the project will aim to quantify ecological time lags and to test hypotheses generated by the theoretical work. We will aim to quantify the variation in the lag between restoration and meeting conservation targets, depending on (a) ecosystem type (forest or grassland), (b) species life history traits, and (c) landscape composition and configuration. The work will occur across three scales: a global synthesis will allow us to identify regions which show habitat gains and to unpick how these gains translate into changing trends for a range of species; at the national (UK) scale, we will dig deeper into these trends to understand how long restoration efforts take to yield biodiversity benefits across different taxa; at site scale, we will further develop our understanding of these lags and how they vary between species.

For further information on this project and details of how to apply to it please visit https://centa.ac.uk/studentship/2026-b13-the-clock-is-ticking-time-lags-nature-recovery/

Further information on how to apply for a CENTA studentship can be found on the CENTA website: https://centa.ac.uk/apply/

Funding notes:
This project is offered through the CENTA3 DLA, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Funding covers: annual stipend, tuition fees (at home-fee level), Research Training Support Grant.

Academic requirements: at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or a pass at UK MSc level or equivalent.

Further information: https://centa.ac.uk/apply/

International students are eligible for studentships to a maximum of 30% of the cohort. Funding does not cover any additional costs relating to moving or residing in the UK. International applicants must fulfil the University of Birmingham’s international student entry requirements, including English language.  Further information: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgt/requirements-pgt/international/index.aspx.

References:

Dornelas, M., et. al, 2018. BioTIME: A database of biodiversity time series for the Anthropocene. Global Ecol Biogeogr 27, 760–786. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12729

Hughes, S., Kunin, W., Ziv, G., & Watts, K. (2023). Spatial targeting of woodland creation can reduce the colonisation credit of woodland plants. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 4, e12263. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12263

Jackson, S.T., Sax, D.F., 2010. Balancing biodiversity in a changing environment: extinction debt, immigration credit and species turnover. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 25, 153–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2009.10.001

Watts, K. et al. Ecological time lags and the journey towards conservation success. Nat Ecol Evol 4, 304–311 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1087-8

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