PhD Studentship: Quantifying the impact of upland valley mire restoration activities on ecohydrological function

The University of Exeter’s Department of Geography is inviting applications for a PhD studentship funded by the University, South West Water and the Environment Agency to commence 22nd September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. For eligible students the studentship will cover Home tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £20,112 for 4-years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in CREWW at the Streatham Campus.

Quantifying the effects of upland valley mire restoration activities is critical given these often-overlooked components of inter-dependent peatland complexes are themselves in poor condition and are negatively impacting the blanket bogs surrounding them.  In a degraded condition, these wetlands are vulnerable to climate change and emit carbon from their vast stores. Valley mire restoration has the potential to improve the biodiversity and ecological resilience of these degraded habitats in the face of climate change, promote carbon storage and sequestration, provide natural flood management benefits and support the ecological resilience of the surrounding blanket bogs.

The landscape management practitioner community is urgently seeking evidence to support decision making around the management of valley mires and adjacent areas for which traditional peatland restoration approaches are not appropriate.  This PhD studentship is funded by the University of Exeter, South West Water and the Environment Agency. Working closely with the South West Peatland Partnership and the Environment Agency, the fully funded PhD student will co-design and evaluate a range of restoration techniques.

The research will combine techniques from hydrology, ecology, palaeoecology, geochronology, and greenhouse gas science to provide a long-term ecological context (plant macrofossils, radiocarbon dating); describe their current eco-hydrological characteristics (flow modelling, peat saturation, vegetation community); and quantify their carbon stocks and flows (peat thickness, loss-on-ignition, bulk density, CO2/CH4 emissions). Employing a before-after-control-intervention approach, this study will scrutinise a range of potential restoration activities such as reprofiling, exclusion fencing, log blocks, and tree planting, thereby contributing to an evidenced understanding of their efficacy in restoring valley mires.

This PhD would suit anyone interested in environmental science, ecology, geography, hydrology, palaeoecology, geochronology and the intersection of these subjects.

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