New call open positions PhD students at ENVIRONMENTAL LIFE SCIENCES

We would like to bring your attention to the topic “Development of an integrated approach for the analysis and optmization of Green Infrastructures under a scenario of climate change”.

The research will focus on understanding, mapping and modelling Green Infrastructures (GI) in rural landscapes and mapping of its capacity to deliver ecosystem services. On the base of a spatial model of GI a quantitative approach will be developed to characterize GI components in terms of connectivity and ecological functionality by spatial GIS index and the alpha and beta components of diversity remotely evaluated. Methods to measure and map a set of ecosystem services will be developed considering different levels of ecological performance defined for the GI components (core GI and subsidiary GI network) and the current tools available (e.g. SENCE, InVEST, EcoServ-GIS, ESTIMAP). The research comprises conceptual work, field surveys, applied case studies and the development of methods. Experience with GIS, knowledge on remote sensing, ecosystem services, mapping techniques and biodiversity analysis are requested.