Forests and Water
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The Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science Forests and Water group currently comprises 11 scientists and research assistants and 10 post graduate students. Research in this area encompasses four themes:
- Forest water use and streamflow dynamics
- Post-fire hydrology in a changing environment
- Geomorphic processes in forest environments
- Forest disturbance, erosion processes and water quality
The research program is aimed at answering some of the key questions concerning the hydrologic and geomorphic response of native and planted forests to growth, disturbance by fire and forest operations, and climate drivers.
PhD Scholarships (2) Fire in the Landscape |
Fire in the Landscape
Fire in the Landscape is a new collaborative project within the Bushfire CRC which aims to better understand the role of prescribed and wildfire in relation to water security, atmospheric emissions, and carbon storage. Two exciting new scholarships are available at The University of Melbourne within this project in the following research areas;
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Fire and water quality risks (Univ. of Melb.-Parkville.)
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Fire and soil carbon (Univ of Melb.-Creswick.)
The Bushfire Cooperative Research centre’s (CRC) mission is to enhance the management of the bushfire risk to the community in an economically and ecologically sustainable manner. The CRC has been in operation since 2003, and has recently been granted a three year extension. These scholarships are a core component of the Bushfire CRC’s multidisciplinary Education and Training Program, which aims to develop the next generation of national bushfire researchers.
Fire & water quality risks
Fire posses an immediate threat to the water supplies of towns and cities, however the magnitude of this risk is poorly understood due to our limited understanding of post-fire hydrologic and erosion processes in Australia. In this project the PhD student will work in collaboration with hydrologists, geomorphologists, soil scientists, fire scientists, and mathematicians to contribute to the development of landscape scale models of post fire water contamination risk.
Fire and soil carbon
This project will measure fire effects on total carbon of forest soil, litter and understorey and describe the change in surface and upper soil organic matter as a basis for predicting and mitigating through management the overall impacts of fuel reduction burning on CO2 release to the atmosphere and carbon storage in soil.
General information
REQUIREMENTS: Applicants should hold a BSc (Hons: 1 or 2A) or Masters Degree in science, engineering, physical geography, or related field. Excellent research and communication skills are essential. Applicants must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia or New Zealand. Eligibility for full driver's license is desirable.
REMUNERATION: Stipend $28,000 pa (tax-free) for 3 years, or top up scholarship of $10,000 pa for holders of commonwealth scholarships. The research grant will also cover some research costs and includes a student laptop and technical support, access to a research assistant to assist with lab/fieldwork, and reasonable assistance with conference and training opportunities.
Further information on individual projects can be obtained from;
- Dr Chris Weston (Soil Carbon) phone 0409 406 058 email: weston@unimelb.edu.au
- Dr Gary Sheridan (Water Quality), phone: 0429 859 384 email: sheridan@unimelb.edu.au
Information regarding the Bushfire CRC research program can be obtained from
- Lyndsey Wright Lyndsey.wright@bushfirecrc.com
Or visit the following websites:
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