University of York

The successful candidate will be part of a supportive and community-oriented department that has a strong commitment to upholding our core values (embracing diversity, making a positive difference, environmental sustainability, being friendly and helpful, and always learning). Our department is highly integrated within an exciting array of environmental sustainability endeavours at our university, such as the Environmental Sustainability Academy at York and the Stockholm Environmental Institute (York), providing many opportunities for interdisciplinary working and networking across the university and beyond. The department is proud to hold an Athena Swan Silver Award.

Homepage: https://www.york.ac.uk/environment/

Earthworms are vital for the health and functioning of most soils. Flooded soils rapidly become oxygen deficient, unless earthworms move away they can drown. Flooding is becoming more frequent, including at previously unflooded sites, because of climate change. In this 2 year, Leverhulme Trust funded project, led by Professor Mark Hodson (University of York) and also involving Drs Michael Berenbrink (University of Liverpool) and Megan Klaar (University of Leeds) we will determine soil water contents at which earthworms avoid soil, whether differences in haemoglobin allow some earthworms to survive in flooded soil whilst others drown, how long earthworm eggs remain viable in flooded soils and how UK flood hazards may increase due to climate change. With this information we will determine threats to UK earthworm communities from climate change-related increased flooding.

As the York-based PDRA, you will sample soils and earthworms from sites which have been subject to varying levels of flooding, identify the earthworms and design and carry out: earthworm avoidance experiments using soils of different moisture content, earthworm exposure experiments in which earthworms are kept in solution and exposed to different oxygen concentrations and, cocoon viability experiments. This will involve designing methods in which the oxygen concentrations of solutions are fixed despite oxygen consumption by respiring earthworms or their cocoons. You will also take the lead in writing up these experiments and liaise with, and contribute to papers led by, the other project PDRAs based at the Universities of Liverpool and Leeds.

Contact mark.hodson@york.ac.uk for more details or see https://jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/research-associate-555942.html