Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies
The position is placed at the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Umeå, Sweden. The department offers a creative and stimulating environment and performs internationally recognized basic and applied research, education and environmental monitoring in the research areas: animal ecology, aquatic ecology, molecular ecology and restoration ecology (see Research at the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies | slu.se. The department has a large proportion of international employees and well established national and international collaborations, which gives opportunities for fruitful exchange.
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Benefit of Broadleaves on Bats, Birds and Beetles
Research subject Biology
Description:
Broadleafification, i.e. the process of increasing the share of broadleaf tree species within conifer-dominated forests, is a promising strategy for biodiversity conservation in managed (hemi)boreal forests. Promoting broadleaf trees and deadwood could significantly benefit biodiversity, including many species on the Swedish Red List. Despite significant efforts to restore forests towards broadleaf stands, the ecological and biodiversity effects of these measures remain understudied in boreal forests. To provide guidance for the forest sector to improve biodiversity levels in managed forests, it is crucial to evaluate whether increasing broadleaf stands effectively enhances biodiversity and how these effects vary with landscape context. Additionally, the interaction of forest composition at stand and landscape scales in shaping species communities is not well understood. Advances in bioacoustic technology, such as passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), now enable efficient study of vocalizing species like birds and bats. Combining PAM with occupancy modeling allows for large-scale ecological studies, assessing both individual species and community responses to environmental changes.
In this 4-year PhD project, you will quantify whether broadleafification actions benefit have an impact on the communities of bats, birds and beetles in a large-scale comparative study. You will work in an established research group and existing research infrastructure, including an experimental setup in four Ecoparks in Sweden. You will use passive acoustic monitoring to record bats and birds, and collect insects to quantify multispecies impacts of restoration (broadleafification) in comparison to not restored stands and target ecosystem stands.
Qualifications:
The successful candidate has a Master’s degree in biology, ecology or forestry, with documented specialization in community ecology, bird or bat ecology, and/or restoration ecology. Experience in design, execution and analysis of acoustic data is desired. Knowledge on statistical methods and their application is an extra merit. Good knowledge in GIS and R is a merit. Proven excellence in written and spoken English is essential. The fieldwork will take place at multiple locations across Sweden; a driver’s license is therefore required. Within this project, the successful candidate will work and participate in an active research environment, and must be capable and willing to take initiative and work independently as well as in a group.
Place of work:
Umeå
Forms for funding or employment:
Employment (4 years)
Starting date:
November 1st 2025 or according to agreement
Application:
Click the “Apply” button to submit your application. The deadline is 2025-09-22.
To qualify for third-cycle (Doctoral) courses and study programmes, you must have a second-cycle (Master’s) qualification. Alternatively, you must have conducted a minimum of four years of full-time study, of which a minimum of one year at second-cycle level.
Applicants will be selected based on their written application and CV, degree project, copies of their degree certificate and transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution, two personal references, and knowledge of English. More information about the English language requirements can be found here:
Please note that applicants invited to interview must submit attested copies of their degree certificate, or equivalent, a transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution. Applicants who are not Swedish citizens need to submit an attested copy of their passport’s information page containing their photograph and personal details.
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