PhD Study : Sediment and nutrient pollution pressures, impacts and recovery in agricultural river catchments

Summary

Context Water quality pressures from agriculture are widespread throughout the world and their reduction is recognised as a Sustainable Development Goal (Sachs et al. 2019). Agricultural land is particularly susceptible to producing sediment and nutrient pollution pressures and the impacts on river and lake ecosystems can be severe, persistent and enhanced by synergistic effects (Davis et al., 2018).

A challenge is to identify times and places of these pollution pressures and their corresponding impacts, and mitigate the pressures while maintaining profitable agriculture. Breaking the connection between source pressures on the land and impacts in water is considered a tool to increase the sustainability of intensive agriculture (Cassidy et al., 2019).

These issues are particularly pervasive across the island of Ireland and can be related to land cover and land use intensity, physiography and weather extremes in a changing climate (Mellander et al., 2018). Agri-environmental schemes are a way for farmers to reduce these pressures and are likely to become more important in future government policies.

In Northern Ireland the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) was introduced by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in 2017. EFS options include measures to break the connection between sediment and nutrient source pressures and river impacts by large-scale fencing of river reaches to exclude cattle from water.

The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), the Rivers Trust and UU are undertaking a study to gauge the effectiveness of the EFS, based in the Upper Bann and Ballinderry River catchments. This has an enhanced farmer engagement and monitoring programme,.

Aim and objectives;

The PhD researcher will work on this large-scale initiative and the aim is to develop a range of techniques to define risk and impact, and assess the EFS at different scales.

The objectives are to:

1.At river reach scale where areas of cattle access pressures have been defined, determine the extent of the sediment/nutrient pressure and benthic ecological impact at baseline and develop a standard operating procedure for monitoring recovery compared with controls.

2.Assess geomorphic bank erosion rates at cattle access control points relative to those subject to fencing and recovery.

3.Compare river reach scale pressures, impacts and recoveries against catchment scale sediment and nutrient flux to contextualise and assess upstream pressures associated with wider land use and climatic processes.

Methods will include sediment capture, particle size analysis and benthic algae monitoring (objective 1), terrestrial laser scanning and advanced 3D data analysis (objective 2), and high resolution water quality data capture and time-series analysis (objective 3).

References;

Sachs, J.D. et al. (2019). Six Transformations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Nature Sustainability. doi:10.1038/s41893-019-0352-9

Cassidy, R. et al. (2019). A carrying capacity framework for soil phosphorus and hydrological sensitivity from farm to catchment scales. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.453

Davis, S.J. (2018). Multiple-stressor effects of sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen on stream macroinvertebrate communities. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.052

Mellander, P.-E. et al. (2018). Integrated climate-chemical indicators of diffuse pollution from land to water. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-19143-1

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• First Class Honours (1st) Degree
• Masters at 65%
• Research project completion within taught Masters degree or MRES
• Practice-based research experience and/or dissemination
• Experience using research methods or other approaches relevant to the subject domain
• Work experience relevant to the proposed project
• Experience of presentation of research findings
• A demonstrable interest in or experience of using open science methods

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:

• Full Award: (full-time tuition fees + £19,000 (tbc))
• Part Award: (full-time tuition fees + £9,500)
• Fees Only Award: (full-time tuition fees)

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living