Browning of freshwater systems (i.e. increase in water color) due to increased leaching of organic matter and iron from the catchment has affected many lakes during the past few decades. One important driver of browning is land use change, for example logging, ditching, and peat mining in the catchment area of the lake. Browning can influence the structure and function of lakes in many ways, such as changing the elemental cycles, or decreasing the diversity and biomass of invertebrates and fish. This PhD project will study how forestry practices have influenced browning of lakes, and what kind of changes this has caused in lake biogeochemistry, production, and biological communities. The study will utilize lake sediment time series from lakes with different histories of forestry practices in their catchment, and investigate the trends of browning in these lakes during the past approximately 100 years. The study sites for the PhD project will be chosen based on GIS analyses and the land use history explored for example from old aerial photographs, remotely sensed forest loss, or historical land use maps. The collaboration network of the project, which includes the Research Council of Finland -funded project Hippicap at JYU, and researchers from Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), Finnish Environmental Institute (SYKE) and several universities in Canada, will provide state-of-the-art methodology for studying lake browning and valuable contacts for the PhD candidate. An eligible candidate should hold a Master’s degree in biology, aquatic sciences, ecology, environmental sciences, geosciences, or forest sciences.
The 4-year position is based at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Main supervisor: Minna Hiltunen
The deadline for applications is 24.11.2024. Please find more information in this link: https://ats.talentadore.com/apply/doctoral-researcher-positions-biological-and-environmental-science/me1Lgv
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