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PhD with 4-year predoc contract : “Assembly and dynamics of urban ecological communities under global change”.

"Assembly and dynamics of urban ecological communities under global change"

Supervisors: Dr. Yolanda Melero (Universitat de Barcelona and CREAF, Spain);  Dr. García-Callejas (University of Canterbury (New Zealand)

Location: School of Biological Sciences, University of Barcelona.

 

We are looking for a candidate to apply to the Ph.D. scholarship program of the Ministry of Universities (FPU (see 2021 call) ) and/or the Catalan Government  (FI grant;, open until October 10th 2023) in Spain, to develop the project “Assembly and dynamics of urban ecological communities under global change”. 

 

In this project, the researcher will explore 1) how urban communities are assembled, 2) what are the drivers of their assembly, 3) to what extent these communities mirror the structure and dynamics of non-urban communities in terms of composition, trait structure, and species interactions, and lastly, 4) the comparative responses of urban communities to global warming. 

 

The researcher will benefit from already existing databases of butterfly communities at different scales: fine-grain data from the city of Barcelona starting in 2018, regional data from Catalonia, and European-level observations. Therefore, they will be able to study patterns and processes from local to continental scales across time. This will provide a unique opportunity to scale our understanding of ecological processes in urban environments, from species to communities and metacommunities. In this context, the researcher will be able to develop different research lines according to their interests and motivation.

 

The project involves the analysis of already existing data, with the possibility to conduct further field work in urban gardens in Barcelona. Hence, the researcher will acquire skills in data analysis, design of sampling programs, advanced statistics, and modelling of ecological networks and communities. The candidate will be integrated in the research teams of Dr. Melero and Dr. García-Callejas, at University of Barcelona and CREAF (Spain).

 

The FPU program is a competitive program that funds Ph.D. projects for 4 years, with the possibility of further funding for academic stays. Call is expected to open at the end of the year. The FI program is a competitive program that funds Ph.D. projects for 3 years, with the possibility of further funding for academic stays. Call is currently open.

 

Requirements/merits:

- BSc. in Biology or related.

- BSc. Grade and, if applicable, MSc. Grade > 8

- Familiarity with statistical analyses and modelling in R.

- Very good competence in English.

- Ability to work with teams and good organisation.

- Responsible and able of independent thinking 

 

Contact: 

If interested, send a letter of motivation and a CV, including the final grade of your academic record (BSc and MSc), to Yolanda Melero (ymelero@ub.edu) and David García-Callejas (david.garcia.callejas@gmail.com). For more information, also contact Yolanda Melero and David García-Callejas.