Research Group: Global environmental change and earth observation

Supervisor(s): Dr James Dyke and Prof John Dearing

This project addresses a major challenge for the global environmental change community: the management of real world ecosystems and landscapes, given our awareness that complexity theory indicates that critical transitions, or ‘tipping points’, are more likely to exist in a rapidly changing world. Critical transitions have occurred in a range of natural systems, such as shallow lakes, coral reefs and forests. Socio-ecological systems – which incorporate both the biophysical and human such as agricultural communities, populations living with a particular watershed and even entire nation states – can also undergo large and sudden changes. In some examples, these changes can be regarded a collapse in that they are associated with significant reductions in biodiversity, food production water quality, and wellbeing.

Although critical transitions are notoriously difficult to predict in nature, increasing efforts are being made to apply statistical models, based in part on dynamical systems theory, to better understand their early warning signals. This PhD project will seek to make a major advance in our abilities to detect and so avoid ecosystem collapse. The initial focus of research will be socio-ecological regions based on freshwater lakes. Processes of industrialisation and development have produced a range of pressures on lakes which have led to significant reductions in water quality and in turn wellbeing of people. Research will be conducted within two main themes.

1 Desktop analysis. Data gathered by University of Southampton researchers and our international partners will be analysed using a range of existing statistical techniques. Later in the project, these data sets will be analysed with the new techniques that would have been developed in theme three.

2 - Complex systems simulation. In order to develop and test new early warning signal techniques, a range of simulations will be developed. This may include Agent Based Models and network science.

You will join the Global Environmental Change and Earth Observation (GECEO) Research Group which conducts research in remote sensing with a focus on regional-to-global scale vegetation systems, and sustainability science with a focus on adaptation to climate change. We use cutting edge science and social science methods. With recent appointments in complexity science (Dyke), carbon cycling (Ogutu) and environmental economics (Schaafsma), the group is well placed to tackle some of the world’s most pressing environmental and socio-economic problems. 

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/geography/research/groups.page?

Candidates must have a first or strong upper second class degree in a numerate discipline such as biology, engineering, mathematics, physics. Details on how to apply are available from Julie Drewitt, email geog-pgr.fshs<στο>soton.ac.uk. Informal enquiries may be made to Supervisor (emailsupervisor<στο>soton.ac.uk). For the latest information on postgraduate opportunities within Geography and Environment, please visit our website athttp://www.southampton.ac.uk/geography/postgraduate/research_degrees/studentships.page?

Interviews: February 2015