3 year fully-funded PhD studentship to start between 1 Oct 2012 and 31 Jan 2013. Based at the Department of Environment, Earth & Ecosystems, The Open University, UK.
Feedbacks between plants and soil under environmental change are likely to have a significant impact on ecosystem carbon cycling. ‘Priming effects’ are one such feedback - whereby microbial degradation of soil organic matter is stimulated by fresh carbon inputs, such as plant litter, releasing older stored carbon from the soil as CO2. The processes and mechanisms underlying priming effects are still poorly understood. This project will address current knowledge gaps by conducting a series of lab and field studies to determine the mechanisms behind priming effects in forests and to establish general patterns in their occurrence. For more details and info on how to apply, please see the following link: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AEJ673/phd-studentship-in-department-of-environment-earth-and- ecosystems/
