Doctoral Position : Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment in farming systems across time and space

Proposition de Thèse sur Projet : « Biodiversity Monitoring and
Assessment in farming systems across time and space » (UMR SENS /
IAMM & CIRAD-ES /ED GAIA, Université de Montpellier)
Problématique :
The Quinoa4Med_UP project consortium builds on the successful outcomes of the
Quinoa4Med project (2022–2025), which confirmed quinoa as a climate-smart crop
diversification strategy with robust potential for higher income generation of small farmers
in saline and/or marginal soils. With quinoa cultivation practices now well established across
several living labs (LL) across diverse Mediterranean agroecological zones, and with key
stakeholder engagement structures in place, including farmer groups (GDAs) and rural
women’s associations, Quinoa4Med_UP is well positioned to transition from piloting to
scaling.
In fact, the project will focus on upscaling the agroecological potential of quinoa-based
farming systems and facilitating the emergence of a resilient, inclusive quinoa value chain
adapted to Mediterranean contexts. Q4M_UP builds upon the outcomes and lessons learned
from the previous Q4M project, which can be summarized here by quinoa adaptation to
marginal environment. The project Q4M successfully selected quinoa lines and species
adapted to Mediterranean conditions and harsh environments (salinity, drought), promoting
crop diversification through intercropping, mixed farming, organic farming and agroforestry
systems. In addition, quinoa cultivation practices and techniques are now standardized
across multiple Mediterranean demosites, with coordinated LLs and the development of
unified phenotyping and yield evaluation protocols, ensuring scalable and efficient
production.
Within the sub-Objective SO2, the new project will focus on preserving and enhancing
biodiversity by promoting quinoa-based AE practices, such as crop rotation, agroforestry,
saline soil and oasis restoration. Working on Living Labs, one goal is to develop a multi-
country database of agrobiodiversity in quinoa-based systems.
Crop diversification based on quinoa specie was demonstrated under previous Q4M to
serves as a powerful strategy for enhancing biodiversity. In trees (as permanganate, olive),
which provide windbreaks, shade, and habitat for pollinators and birds, thereby improving
ecological connectivity and building soil carbon. Mixed cropping with legumes, maize, or
vegetables not only increases plant diversity and productivity but also fosters habitats for
beneficial organisms and enhances nutrient cycling. Similarly, crop rotation involving quinoa
and a variety of other crops disrupts pest and disease cycles, promotes diverse soil microbial
communities, and restores degraded lands through sustainable nutrient use. Quinoa4Med
demonstrated that Quinoa plays a critical role in oasis restoration, thanks to its high drought
and salinity tolerance, allowing for the rehabilitation of arid landscapes through traditional
water management techniques and polyculture farming. The present project Q4M_UP will
continue work on adapting biodiversity assessment tools for quinoa fields (WP2), with a
focus on in-depth evaluation of agrobiodiversity within LL and its distribution across time
and space. The project will offer standardized procedures, user-friendly data templates, and
biodiversity indicators tailored to quinoa fields, enabling researchers, extension agents, and
farmers to conduct ongoing monitoring and support replication in other dryland
agroecosystems.
The main research question for the PhD thesis is “how to assess the impact on wild and
cultivated biodiversity of an alternative species (C. quinoa Willd.) recently introduced in
Mediterranean cropping systems”.
Principal activities:
The PhD thesis is centered on the WP2 for monitoring, assessing, and enhancing biodiversity
in Mediterranean agroecosystems by integrating nature through quinoa crop as an
alternative and exotic species, into farming systems through agroecological practices.
Operating within the 4 Living Labs in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Spain, this WP will rely
on a strong methodological foundation developed and supported by CIRAD and shared with
all the partners for working all together across the LLs. Tools for biodiversity assessment will
be adapted for quinoa-based systems, with main contributions from the PhD student
research program, and developed through participatory approaches involving partners
during workshops and fieldwork. The main objectives are:
• To adapt and harmonize biodiversity assessment tools for agroecological quinoa systems.
• To assess agrobiodiversity across spatial and temporal scales in diverse Mediterranean
farming contexts.
• To characterize associated wild biodiversity and ecological interactions with quinoa fields.
The French Living lab, in partnership with the 4 others, will play an additional role in
experimenting with new crops and varieties to optimize agricultural productivity while
generating more resilience to the agricultural systems. Through field demonstrations and
multi-stakeholders’ workshops, it aims to develop, to test innovative practices and to
disseminate knowledge contributing to more sustainable agriculture in the region.
Tools and Methods
Tasks will include the assessment of agrobiodiversity across space and time, with a focus on
crop rotation, landscape-level richness, intercropping systems, and quinoa genetic diversity.
WP2 will also examine wild biodiversity in quinoa fields including crop wild relatives, weed
communities, insect biodiversity, soil biota, and plant health.
Finally, the agronomic performance of diversified systems will be discussed with a specific
focus on quinoa in intercropping settings. At the end, as main result, WP2 will deliver a
practical toolbox for biodiversity monitoring and contribute to the scaling-up of agroecology
across Mediterranean farming systems.
Task 2.0 – Adapting Biodiversity Assessment Tools for Quinoa Systems
Task T2.0 focuses on the adaptation and methodological development of biodiversity
assessment tools specifically tailored to quinoa-based agroecosystems. Biodiversity will be
assessed using hierarchical diversity levels and considering two complementary biodiversity
indices, the Shannon Index, sensitive to the introduction or removal of species/varieties and
indicative of genetic evenness and crop diversity; and the Simpson Index, less sensitive to
rare species, emphasizing dominance structures and representing the weight of prevalent
varieties in traditional systems.
The toolbox will include guidelines, indicator sheets, and a database structure compatible
with Living Lab field data from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Spain. Tailored training
sessions and methodological workshops will be proposed during the project to ensure
harmonization of biodiversity monitoring across case studies.
Task 2.1 – Assessment of Agrobiodiversity in Crop Rotations and Farming Landscapes
Task T2.1 aims to evaluate cultivated biodiversity across spatial and temporal scales within
quinoa-based crop systems, particularly within agroecological transition contexts. It will be
implemented in the Living Labs of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Spain. Data collection will
focus on species and varieties richness, abundance, and spatial distribution across cropping
seasons and rotations. The analysis will include structured inventories of crops and their
varieties, phenological data, and frequency of occurrence. A cross-site comparison will
identify how quinoa varietal diversity contributes to resilience and resource-use efficiency.
Task 2.2 – Assessment of Wild Biodiversity Associated with Quinoa Fields
Task T2.2 focuses on evaluating the wild biodiversity associated with quinoa fields and their
surrounding environments, with the aim of better understanding the ecological interactions
between cultivated and spontaneous wild biodiversity components in agricultural
landscapes. The work will compare biodiversity levels in quinoa plots to adjacent cultivated
and semi-natural areas.
The main expected outcomes of the PhD Thesis are:
D2.1: Biodiversity Assessment Toolbox for Mediterranean Quinoa Systems (EN/FR)
D2.2 : Multi-country database of agrobiodiversity in quinoa-based systems
D2.3 : Report on indicators of quinoa genetic diversity at farm level
D2.4 : Report on wild biodiversity associated with quinoa fields (flora, fauna, soil)
D2.5 : Illustrated field guide for species identification in partner countries
D2.6 : Report on Quinoa inter-cropping system
The scientific approach adopted will leverage the structure and governance of Living Labs to
gather primary data and generate a shared understanding of the system, and its dynamics
for the agroecological transition. This process will draw on methods from agronomy,
ecology, and geography.
Détails du Poste :
Référence du poste : QUINOA4MED_UP-Thèse-001
Lieu de travail : IAMM et UMR SENS (CIRAD, département Environnement et Sociétés) à
Montpellier
Nom du directeur de thèse, et responsable scientifique, au sein du CIRAD : Dr Didier BAZILE
Nom de la co-encadrante de thèse au sein de l’IAMM : Dr Mélanie REQUIER-DESJARDINS
Type / Durée du contrat : CDD Doctorant/Contrat doctoral à Temps complet de 36 mois
Date de début de la thèse envisagé : Septembre 2026
Rémunération fixée selon les règles nationales pour le doctorat.
Profil attendu pour les candidat-es :
– Connaissances en écologie appliqué au champ de l’agronomie ;
– Maitrise de R avec très bon niveau en statistiques descriptives, ANOVA, Analyse des
données (ACP), etc.
– Motivation à étudier l’agrobiodiversité in situ avec différents acteurs et intérêt à
comprendre et faire dialoguer des acteurs aux profils et objectifs variés
– Première expérience souhaitée en R&D sur écologie en milieu agricole ;
– Connaissance de la région Méditerranéenne ;
– Langues : au-delà de la maitrise du français (lu, écrit, parlé), bon niveau d’expression
(oral/écrit) en anglais. La connaissance de l’Arabe sera un atout.
Contexte de travail :
Le/la candidat.e signera un contrat doctoral de droit privé à temps complet l’IAMM. Il/Elle
sera inscrit.e à l’Ecole doctorale GAIA de l’Université de Montpellier. L’IAMM et le CIRAD
formaliseront son accès à un bureau et aux équipements.
Toute candidature doit comporter un CV, une lettre de motivation, le mémoire de M2, les
relevés de notes de Master et une copie des diplômes les plus récents. Elle est à envoyer par
mail AVANT le 15 AOÛT 2026 (bien rester disponible pour les candidats présélectionnés qui
passeront devant le jury de recrutement entre le 26 et le 28/08/2026) à : didier.bazile@cirad.fr
, requier@iamm.fr et belhouchette@iamm.fr