Mangrove Blue carbon in Brazil

Sorbonne Université / CNRS; Île-de-France; Sur place; EUR 20 000 - 40 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A leading research institution in France is offering a PhD position focused on carbon stabilization processes in mangrove ecosystems. The student will analyze soil samples from Brazilian mangroves, utilizing various laboratory techniques. A Master's degree in environmental science or a related field is required. The role includes conducting microbial analysis and studying the effects of environmental conditions on soil organic matter. Competitive salary and benefits are provided.

Prestations

5 weeks of paid holidays

50% paid for Navigo Pass

National health insurance

Annual bonus for sustainable mobility

Free training courses

Qualifications

• Experience in soil sampling and microbiological analysis.
• Background in environmental science or related fields.
• Familiarity with laboratory techniques for analyzing soil organic matter.

Responsabilités

• Conduct soil sampling in Brazilian mangroves.
• Analyze soil organic matter protection using various laboratory methods.
• Characterize the degree of stabilization of different organic matter types.

Connaissances

Soil sampling

Microbial analysis

Laboratory techniques

Formation

Master's degree in environmental science or similar

Description du poste

Topic description

Rationale

Mangrove ecosystems absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, and bury carbon at a rate ten times faster than terrestrial forests1. Therefore, mangroves are part of the “blue carbon” ecosystems, strong allies for mitigating climate change. Despite their exceptionally high carbon stocks and sink2,3, mangroves have been relatively little studied compared to terrestrial ecosystems. The mechanisms regulating soil organic matter (SOM) stabilisation in mangroves remain largely unknown4–6. SOM recalcitrance to microbial decomposition and anoxic conditions have been shown as major determinants of SOM decay in waterlogged mangrove soils5,7. Yet, SOM accessibility to soil microorganisms might also explain the long-term storage of carbon (i.e. century to millennia) in mangroves5,8 as for terrestrial9,10 and marine ecosystems11,12. SOM stabilisation may be influenced by mangrove geomorphological settings13 because they lead to differences in soil mineralogy, organic matter quality, and oxic / anoxic conditions, all of which influencing SOM inaccessibility to microbes.

The main objective of this PhD thesis will be to investigate the potential carbon stabilisation processes and the microbial composition and activity across contrasted mangrove sites, with a focus on Brazilian mangroves .

The results will be helpful for policy makers and NGOs to understand the perenniality and heterogeneity of blue carbon across mangroves.

Methods

The post-graduate student will sample soils in Brazilian mangroves, and analyse SOM protection with different state of art laboratory methods (microbiology, soil biogeochemistry). She / he / they will use density fractionation to separate easily decomposable plant litter from stabilised SOM in interaction with the mineral phase. Moreover, she / he / they will characterise the degree of stabilisation of different SOM types by investigating the elemental and isotopic composition of the different fractions, and also study microbial processes.

Supervisory Team

Dr. Cornelia RUMPEL (She / her), Dr Marie ARNAUD (She / her); Dr Tiago Osorio Ferreira (He / him), Dr Francisco Ruiz (He / him)

Application

The offer will be closed in the 2d of November.

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Salary and Benefits

• € gross monthly (~ net)
• 5 weeks of paid holidays
• 50% paid for Navigo Pass
• Include national health insurance and 50% contribution for private health insurance (mutuelle)
• Annual bonus for sustainable mobility
• Retirement pension scheme
• Free training course (Hard and Soft skills)

References

1. 1. McLeod, E. et al. A blueprint for blue carbon : Toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats in sequestering CO2. Front. Ecol. Environ. 9, – .
2. 2. Middleton, B. A. & McKee, K. L. Degradation of mangrove tissues and implications for peat formation in Belizean island forests. J. Ecol. 89, – .
3. 3. Alongi, D. M. The energetics of mangrove forests. (Springer, ). doi : 10. / -1 3.
4. 4. Arnaud, M., Baird, A. J., Morris, P. J., Dang, T. H. & Nguyen, T. T. Sensitivity of mangrove soil organic matter decay to warming and sea level change. Glob. Chang. Biol. 26, – .
5. 5. Spivak, A. C., Sanderman, J., Bowen, J. L., Canuel, E. A. & Hopkinson, C. S. Global-change controls on soil-carbon accumulation and loss in coastal vegetated ecosystems. Nat. Geosci. 12, – .
6. 6. Macreadie, P. I. et al. The future of Blue Carbon science. Nat. Commun. 10, .
7. 7. Kristensen, E., Bouillon, S., Dittmar, T. & Marchand, C. Organic carbon dynamics in mangrove ecosystems : A review. Aquat. Bot. 89, – .
8. 8. Basile-Doelsch, I., Balesdent, J. & Pellerin, S. Reviews and syntheses : The mechanisms underlying carbon storage in soil. Biogeosciences 17, – .
9. 9. Schmidt, M. W. I. et al. Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property. Nature , 49–56 .
10. 10. Rothman, D. H. & Forney, D. C. Physical Model for the Decay and Preservation of Marine Organic Carbon. Science (80-. ). , – .
11. 11. Barber, A. et al. Preservation of organic matter in marine sediments by inner-sphere interactions with reactive iron. Sci. Rep. 7, .
12. 12. Kida, M. & Fujitake, N. Organic Carbon Stabilization Mechanisms in Mangrove Soils : A Review. Forests 11,
13. 13. Arnaud, M., Lovelock, C.E., Maceiras, M. … Rumpel, C. The nature of soil blue carbon varies across mangrove geomorphic settings. Commun Earth Environ 6, .

Starting date

01-05

Funding category

Public funding alone (i.e. government, region, European, international organization research grant)

Funding further details