PhD Scholarship on Restoration of Tropical Lowland Rainforest

PhD Scholarship on Restoration of Tropical Lowland Rainforest in Hutan
Harapan, Indonesia

Background

Tropical rainforests are being converted to other land uses at a high rate.
For the Sumatran lowland rainforest, one of the most diverse forests types
in the world, it is estimated that only 2-3% of the original forest remains.
Much of this remaining forest has furthermore been exploited by commercial
logging, and the remnant forests now appear as islands in the landscape,
surrounded by plantations of commercial species such as oilpalm and rubber.
This is especially problematic for long term stability and forest dynamics
because small patches of forest are poor habitats for endangered flora and
fauna. As a countermeasure to forest degradation, to rehabilitate degraded
forest and to expand forest patches, new initiatives are being developed in
large-scale forest restoration. One of these is the Hutan Harapan (Harapan
Rainforest) initiative.

The mission of Hutan Harapan is to protect and restore 100.000 ha of
tropical lowland rainforest in Jambi and South Sumatra. Supported by Danida
through the Danida Support to Harapan Rainforest (DSHRF) project, Hutan
Harapan, is presently offering a PhD scholarship for an Indonesian national
in collaboration with University of Copenhagen.

Different forms of forest restoration in South East Asia were developed
through the 20th century. A range of techniques have been developed, ranging
from little or no intervention (natural succession) to intensive
manipulations of the ecosystem. Recreation of the forest diversity is
believed to be dependent on level of degradation, the particular environment
(including distance to the nearest forests) and the combination of species
applied. However, scientific knowledge that can guide restoration efforts is
still scarce. The proposed PhD study will develop silvicultural knowledge
relating to restoration focussing on the following topics:

i. Early succession in cleared forest areas. Natural regeneration of
tree diversity likely depends on factors such as distance to nearby seed
trees and forest, presence of seed dispersers and the level of degradation
of the ecosystem. For a number of sites with different disturbance regimes,
the vegetation compositions will be studied and the influence of key
parameters on the recreation of species diversity will be analysed.

ii. Efficacy of different approaches to restoration with respect to
recreation of species diverse forest communities, investments and
establishment under different levels of degradation. Based on field trials,
species composition of different restoration regimes will be followed to
make recommendations for efficient restoration of vegetation and habitats
for fauna.

iii. Species ecology and performance under different restoration
forms. Tree species have differential responses to different biotic and
abiotic growth conditions, and knowledge hereof is essential to management
decisions on restoration strategies. Field trials will be used to follow
growth of - and interaction between - selected species under several
restoration regimes, thus characterising optimum conditions for restoration
of individual species.

The results will be of great importance to scientists and foresters
interested in protection and regeneration of lowland tropical rainforest
biodiversity.

Practicalities

The student will be employed and supported by Hutan Harapan and enrolled at
University of Copenhagen. Expenses during studies in Denmark will be covered
by the project. Field work will be conducted at Hutan Harapan in
collaboration with project staff. The student is expected to follow
experiments established by the Hutan Harapan project, as well as conduct
independent experiments.

Qualifications

Applicants should be of Indonesian nationality. An MSc in Forestry, Biology
or another plant-related topic is required, as well as a level in English
corresponding to IELTS level 6.

Application

The application (in English) should include:

1. A motivation letter

2. A two-page description of proposed research activities of the PhD
study

3. A full CV

4. Copies of exam certificate with exam results

Applicants are invited to send their applications as pdf files by email to
recruit@burung.org. Deadline is August 15, 2013.

Assessment of candidates

The assessment committee will be composed of representatives of University
of Copenhagen, Harapan Rainforest and the Royal Society for the Protection
of Birds. Based on applicants' qualifications as outlined in the
application, a number of applicants will be selected for Skype interviews.
Interviews are expected to take place from August 23 to 29, after which
applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.

Key criteria for the assessment of candidates include a master's degree
related to the subject area of the project, the grade point average
achieved, professional qualifications relevant to the PhD programme,
previous publications, relevant work experience, other professional
activities, language skills and interpersonal skills.

After recruitment, the candidate will follow a procedure of formal enrolment
at University of Copenhagen. A part of this is to prepare a final PhD
project description in collaboration with researchers at Harapan Rainforest
and supervisor at University of Copenhagen.

Job description

Your key tasks as a PhD fellow will be:

. Manage and carry through your research project

. Take PhD courses

. Write scientific articles and your PhD thesis

. Participate in international congresses

. Teach and disseminate your research

For more information:

You can find more information about Harapan Rainforest at
<http://harapanrainforest.org/> http://harapanrainforest.org/.