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University of Plymouth; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Plymouth is inviting applications for a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Peatland Fire, Palaeoecology and Ecological Resilience to contribute to the PeatFiRes project. The role focuses on palaeoecological research, peat-core analysis and multiproxy reconstruction of past fire and ecosystem responses.

You will work with Dr Jessie Woodbridge (PI) and collaborate with Prof Ralph Fyfe and others, with informal discussions available via email to Jessie Woodbridge.

Responsibilities

• Conduct palaeoecological fieldwork and laboratory analysis of peat cores, including charcoal, pollen, plant macrofossils and testate amoebae.
• Develop and apply FTIR spectroscopy to characterise charcoal and reconstruct the nature and intensity of past fire events.
• Integrate multiproxy datasets to investigate peatland responses to fire, climate and land-use change.
• Contribute to data analysis, modelling and project outputs, including peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
• Work collaboratively across the interdisciplinary project team, contributing to stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange.

Job description

As a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Peatland Fire, Palaeoecology and Ecological Resilience you will contribute to the PeatFiRes project, investigating how UK peatlands have responded to fire, climate and land-use change over the last 5,000 years. The role will focus primarily on palaeoecological research, including peatland fieldwork, peat-core analysis and multiproxy reconstruction of past fire and ecosystem responses, alongside FTIR spectroscopy and data integration. You will work closely with Dr Jessie Woodbridge (PI, University of Plymouth), to whom they will report, and collaborate with Prof Ralph Fyfe, Dr Tim Daley and Dr Michela Mariani, alongside the wider interdisciplinary research team and external stakeholders.

You will:

• Conduct palaeoecological fieldwork and laboratory analysis of peat cores, including charcoal, pollen, plant macrofossils and testate amoebae.
• Develop and apply FTIR spectroscopy to characterise charcoal and reconstruct the nature and intensity of past fire events.
• Integrate multiproxy datasets to investigate peatland responses to fire, climate and land-use change.
• Contribute to data analysis, modelling and project outputs, including peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
• Work collaboratively across the interdisciplinary project team, contributing to stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange.

For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Jessie Woodbridge: by email at [e-mail]