Peatlands occur in almost all European Union (EU) Member States. Recent assessments show that more than 50% of peatlands are degraded by drainage and used for agriculture, forestry and peat extraction. This results in a series of ecological problems, including declining biodiversity, soil subsidence, higher risk of wildfires, salt intrusion in coastal areas and greater risk of flooding. Furthermore, degraded peatlands release huge quantities of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
The overall PhD project is also relevant to EU policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Land Use and Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) and Soil Monitoring Law. The outcomes will contribute to the knowledge base being developed by the JRC’s EU Soil Observatory and relevant policy areas addressing soil health and climate change under the European Green Transition.
This project is an international collaboration between Aarhus University and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), with support from the Aarhus University Centre for Circular Bioeconomy (CBIO). The prospective candidate will be part of the Soil Physics and Hydropedology section at the Department of Agroecology (Aarhus University), where she/he will spend 24 months, and the JRC in Ispra, Italy, where she/he will spend 12 months during the second year of the project. We offer a competitive fellowship. While at the JRC in Ispra, you will receive a contract as a Grant Holder 20.
Link for applications: https://phd.tech.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/saeropslag/phd-in-peatland-mapping-at-national-and-european-scales
Deadline: 15.3.2025