Project description: (Sub)tropical archipelagos are global biodiversity hotspots, but susceptible to exotic plant invasions. Such invasions may lead to loss of native endemic species.
While invasive species are typically thought of as harmful, their ecological and socio-economic impacts on the
Dutch Caribbean BES islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius, Saba) are not strictly negative. For the BES islands, management scenarios aiming solely at maximal eradication of invaders may therefore not be perceived as optimal by local stakeholders.
The Department of Innovation, Environmental and Energy Sciences of Utrecht University is seeking two PhD students to study the ecological and socio-economic impacts of exotic plant invasions on the Dutch Caribbean BES islands. The successful candidates will follow a Social Ecological Systems approach to assess ecological and socio-economic costs and benefits of future nature conservation and management scenarios. Assessments will be performed through the development of a Decision Support System that enables optimization of social and ecological costs and benefits through appropriate management of invasive terrestrial plants.
PhD position 1: The ecological impacts of exotic plant invasions in the
Dutch Caribbean
This project aims to identify the driving mechanisms of exotic plant
invasions on the BES islands. The PhD student will combine remote sensing
analyses, mathematical modelling and field measurements to achieve this aim.
Insights will then be used to develop mechanistic competition models that
can project future rates of spread, and can show how these rates can be
affected through the implementation of management interventions.
We are looking for a highly motivated person with quantitative skills and an
academic degree in Ecology, Environmental Science, Physical Geography,
(Eco-)Hydrology, Biology or Biomathematics. Experience with remote sensing
analyses (using e.g. ArcGis, ERDAS Imagine), mathematical modelling (using
e.g. Matlab, Mathematica), and fieldwork is considered an advantage.
Furthermore, she/he is expected to be interested in being part of a
multi-disciplinary research team and willing to invest in a fruitful
collaboration with the socio-economically oriented PhD student within the
project.
PhD position 2: The socio-economic impacts of exotic plant invasions in the
Dutch Caribbean
This project aims to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) that can be
used to craft appropriate response strategies to disturbances associated
with invasive species proliferation and policy changes. This will require an
analysis of the governance system and analysis of the interactions within
the stakeholder network. The PhD student will combine policy analysis,
stakeholder analysis, network techniques and model input from PhD student 1
(see above) to achieve this aim. We are looking for a highly motivated
person with an academic degree in Environmental Studies, Social Geography,
Political Science or related fields. The successful candidate has a firm
understanding of the theoretical literature on Socio-Ecological Systems and
Institutionalism. Experience with methods such as network, stakeholder and
institutional analysis, is an advantage. The successful candidate has the
capacity to work independently, but is also interested in being part of a
multi-disciplinary research team and willing to invest in a fruitful
collaboration with the ecologically oriented PhD student within the project.
What we offer: Both projects are part of the multi-disciplinary Caribbean
Research program of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research
(NWO) and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Both PhD
positions are fully funded for a period of four years, at the end of which a
PhD thesis should be completed. Both PhD students can spend the vast
majority of their time on the research project; only 10% of their time will
be spent on various other tasks. These tasks include teaching
assistantships, supervision of (under)graduate research projects and
contributing to capacity building initiatives on the BES islands.
As a PhD student you will get a temporary position for four years at Utrecht
University. Payment is according to the standard payment of PhD students in
the Netherlands: EUR 1,683 per month in the first year, increasing to EUR
2,394 in the fourth year. We provide generous secondary benefits, as
specified in the contracts for university staff in the Netherlands. The
salary is supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and an end-of-year bonus
of 8,3% per year. In addition we offer: a pension scheme, a partially paid
parental leave, flexible employment conditions. Conditions are based on the
Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities.
How to apply: Applications should include a motivation letter and a
curriculum vitae with a list of grades and contact details of two
references. Applying for one of the PhD positions can be done online, using
the PeopleXS system of Utrecht University. Follow this link (
http://ssl1.peoplexs.com/
), to provide personal details and to upload the relevant documents for your
application (motivation letter, curriculum vitae, list of grades, contact
details of references). Please indicate clearly in your motivation letter
whether you are applying for position 1 (ecological impacts) or position 2
(socio-economic impacts).
The deadline for applications is September 01, 2014.
Additional information about the PhD projects can be obtained by contacting
dr. Maarten Eppinga (position 1, m.b.eppinga@uu.nl), dr. Frank van Laerhoven
(position 2, f.s.j.vanlaerhoven@uu.nl) or Prof. dr. Martin Wassen (both
positions, m.j.wassen@uu.nl).
