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 20^th 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 23, 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/.