Research Fellow in Orchard Ecosystem Services

Do you have experience in agricultural ecology?

Do you want to further your career in one of the UKs leading research intensive Universities?

In collaboration with Stellenbosch University and the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, we are looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to study ecosystem services and supporting orchard crops in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. You will have a flair for conducting ecological analytical research, modelling and stakeholder engagement, along with an interest in cutting edge science linking ecology to economic development. As part of the project you will work in a multidisciplinary team with ecologists, agricultural entomologists and economists.

The BBSRC's (Biotechnological and Biological Sciences Research Council's) Global Challenges Research funded project explores how farm management, landscape context and ownership patterns affect the roles of pollinators and biocontrol insects in apple and pear orchards, and the potential for novel agri-environmental plantings to enhance those values. The Cape floristic province is a global biodiversity hotspot but also intensively farmed, creating potential for both strong conflicts and synergies between agriculture and conservation.You will play a key role in data analysis and scenario modelling, along with writing and stakeholder engagement, and may undertake additional fieldwork, supervising field teams collecting insect population and ecosystem service data. Please note that the work may involve one or more trips to South Africa.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: Professor William Kunin (Principle Investigator) Tel: +44 (0)113 343 2857; email: w.e.kunin@leeds.ac.uk