PhD Studentship: Building Banks for Climate Mitigation: Do Butterfly Banks Benefit Wider Invertebrate Biodiversity?

The University of Reading offers a PhD studentship focused on assessing the impact of artificial 'butterfly banks' on invertebrate biodiversity in relation to climate change. The project involves data analysis of previously collected samples and aims to evaluate changes in species diversity. Candidates should have experience with microscopes and invertebrate identification. The position requires on-site work, with collaboration in a lab setting and opportunities for research development.
Supervisor details:

Lead Supervisor

Andrew Bladona, j.bladon@reading.ac.uk, School of Biological Sciences

Co-supervisors

Chris Foster, School of Biological Sciences

Project Description:

Climate change is a major threat to biodiversity, and there is an urgent need to design conservation actions which mitigate its impact on species. For some species, rising temperatures threaten their persistence in a landscape, and cool refuges are required for them to survive extreme temperature events. For others, climate change is driving range shifts, and suitable, warmer habitat must be present at the cool edge of their range to help them colonise new sites and mitigate losses elsewhere. In partnership with two Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB, I run a project developing and testing an innovative conservation strategy: building artificial banks which manipulate local topography to provide a diverse range of warm and cool “microclimates” to facilitate both species’ arrival and persistence on nature reserves.

In 2021, we established eight “butterfly banks” at two sites in Bedfordshire and in 2024 built a further eight at two sites in Wiltshire. To collect data on the efficacy of the banks for conservation, we have conducted standardised vegetation surveys, butterfly surveys and pitfall trapping for ground-dwelling invertebrates across the area surrounding each set of banks, for one season before their installation, and every season after installation, in both the manipulated and unmanipulated areas. This “before-after control-intervention” (BACI) design is the gold standard for evidence generation, yet rare in conservation projects.

This project will identify invertebrates collected in the pitfall traps, to assess whether the banks have altered the diversity of ground-dwelling species (primarily beetles, spiders and ants) at each site.

Student profile:

Familiarity with using microscopes and species identification keys, and some experience identifying invertebrates to broad taxonomic group (Order level) is required, along with an eagerness to learn more detailed identification. Any specialist knowledge of ground-dwelling invertebrate taxa is a bonus.

Support:

The student will be based in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Division. They will join weekly lab meetings held jointly between five research groups covering a broad range of ecology. They will work in the Lyle laboratory alongside MSc Entomology students, with the opportunity to learn about research careers.

Feasibility:

The pitfall trap samples have already been collected, so the raw data collection is completed. The survey design means there is flexibility for the student to identify as many samples as they can (in a strategic manner) to answer a specific research question of interest to them

Scope for initiative:

The survey design (before-after control-intervention sampling) provides scope for the student to ask different questions. For example, they may choose to compare samples from before and after installation, from intervention and control sites, or from different topographic aspects (north-, south-, east- or west-facing slopes, or flat) within the manipulated area.

Remote Working:

Is this project suitable for remote working? No

Remote working details: The project requires lab work to identify specimens which will need to be completed on campus. Data analysis at the end of the project could be completed remotely.

Flexibility:

Is it possible to do this project part-time? Yes

How to apply:

Apply online via the above ‘Apply’ button.

£16 per hour