The Ph.D. candidate will design and perform a series of experiments at the Unil Ecotron facility, to investigate how vegetation regulates soil water fluxes and geochemical reactions, expecially during dry periods. The facility already includes a programmable climate chamber with three soil columns and a range of sensors, and additional sensors can be acquired during the project. Depending on the candidate's interests and skills, the work may combine a range of methods, including analyses of major and trace elements, measurements of vegetation activity, tracer experiments and hydrogeochemical modelling. As climate change increases the frequency and severity of droughts, this Ph.D. project offers the opportunity to understand and anticipate drought impacts on water resources and ecosystem degradation, while developing expertise at the interface of hydrology, soil geochemistry, and ecosystem science.
80% of the employment time will be dedicated to completing the doctoral thesis (PhD research); the remaining 20% will be dedicated to teaching assistant and support duties within the institute.
You are expected to :
- Design and conduct innovative experiments
- Operate the Ecotron facility and its network of ~80 sensors throughout the project
- Lead scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals
- Participate in international conferences and project meetings in lausanne and Paris
- Participate in approximately one week of fieldwork per year at the Critical Zone Observatory of Mt Lozère, France
- Make your research workflow (data, code, protocols...) open and reproducible
- Openly discuss research obstacles and seek advice/help in the group
- Actively participate in creating a collaborative and inclusive culture
