PhD opportunities at the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague: biological invasions, remote sensing, and ecosystem modelling
1) Tentative thesis title: “Re-unification of insect herbivores with their host plants in novel regions”
Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Liebhold
Study program: Global Change Forestry
Description: Non-native plants are ubiquitous around the globe; non-native plants are widely planted for purposes of agriculture, forestry, and landscape horticulture but many plant species become invasive and spread over large areas. The success of these plants is due in part to the absence of insects that feed on them in their native range, a phenomenon called “enemy release”. However over time, many of these insects “catch-up” with their hosts by invading areas where plants are non-native thereby re-uniting insect herbivores with their host plants. Here we intend to compile data on invasions of such insects around the world and explore why some plants from some regions have more invasions by such re-unifications than others.
Candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Experience with insect ecology
- Excellent spoken and written English language skills
- Wide knowledge of statistical analysis techniques
- Extensive experience and skill in use of the R statistical software
2) Tentative title: “Douglas-fir around the world”
Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Liebhold
Study program: Global Change Forestry
Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, has a large native distribution in western North America but is widely planted in other world regions in forest plantations. In Europe, there is increasing interest in its use as a replacement for Norway spruce given its wider tolerance to climatic conditions. While it can exhibit remarkable growth patterns, it also can be invasive, and displace native vegetation. There are also risks that certain insects and diseases associated with the species in North America could invade Europe and other regions, greatly diminishing its growth. In this project we aim to compile global data on Douglas-fir growth under various conditions as well as variation in its invasiveness and the distribution of insects and diseases that use it as a host.
Candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Experience with forest ecology
- Excellent spoken and written English language skills
- Wide knowledge of statistical analysis techniques
- Extensive experience and skill in use of the R statistical software
3) Tentative thesis title: “Assessing the patterns of disturbance legacies after a large-scale outbreak of bark beetles in Central Europe“
Supervisor: prof. Tomáš Hlásny
Study program: Applied geoinformatics and remote sensing in forestry
Central Europe has become an epicenter of forest disturbances in Europe due to the extensive outbreak of bark beetles. The outbreak followed by extensive salvaging operations has created specific patterns of disturbance legacies consisting of surviving trees and stands, non-host trees, dead wood patches, and others. These legacies can determine forest recovery dynamics and future forest structure and composition; however, their amount, quality and distribution remain unclear. This thesis aims to map the emerging mosaics of disturbance legacies using different remote sensing and ground data, evaluate its spatial organization using a suite of landscape metrics, and draw inferences for forest recovery dynamics.
Candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Experience with optical and/or SAR remote sensing and GIS
- Experience with forest and landscape ecology
- Experience and skill with the R statistical software or Python, Google Earth Engine, ENVI, and other tools
- Excellent spoken and written English language skills
4) Tentative thesis title: “Resilience and biodiversity of Central European forests under climate change“
Supervisor: prof. Tomáš Hlásny
Study program: Global Change Forestry
Forest resilience to climate change and natural disturbances is intimately associated with biodiversity; however, the intricacies of this relationship remain unclear. This research utilizes an ecosystem model iLand (https://iland-model.org/startpage) for evaluating how different aspects of biodiversity determine forest resilience to windthrows, insect outbreaks, and other disturbances, and how this relationship can be modulated by climate change and management. The successful candidate will be engaged in modelling-based ecological research within the established international team.
Candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Experience with forest ecology and management
- Experience and skill in use of the R statistical software
- Good understanding of the principles of forest dynamics models
- Excellent spoken and written English language skills
Application deadline: March 15, 2024
Start of the study: October 2024
Type of study: full time, regular, funded, 4 year
Information about the admission procedure: https://www.fld.czu.cz/en/r-9415-science-research/r-9538-doctoral-study
Contact: hlasny@fld.czu.cz