Ecosystem are in increasing stress from multiple anthropogenic pressures. Restoration of ecosystem disturbed by anthropogenic activity is essential for preserving biodiversity and ensuring provisioning or ecosystem services to human society. Unfortunately, soil is often neglected in restoration work. Soil harbor tremendous biodiversity, which is not only sensitive indicator of ecosystem status but also important player, which actively effect many key ecosystem process. Recently species traits has become an important tool to evaluate relationships between species ability to cope with certain environment, and also, ability of soil fauna to modify this environment. This study will apply fauna traits approach in broad spectrum of recent restoration project of our group dealing with various types of ecosystems (peatlands, heathlands, meadows, forests, and post-mining sites) which are undergoing transition from heavily disturbed ecosystem to more natural stage either due to active restoration of via natural successional process. We want to focus mainly on soil mesofauna, which offer large variation of species and species trait. Successful candidate should have MSc in nature protection, ecology, environmental sciences or similar and good ability to communicate in English. Basic skills in data evaluation, experience in work with soil mesofauna and with publication of scientific results represent great advantage.
Frouz,J., Liveckova, M., Albrechtova, J., Chronakova, A., Cajthaml, T., Pizl, V., Hanel, L., Stary, J., Baldrian, P., Lhotakova, Z., Simackova, H., Cepakova, S., 2013. Is the effect of trees on soil properties mediated by soil fauna? A case study from post-mining sites. FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT 309: 87- 95
Frouz, J., Thebault, E., Pizl, V., Adl, S., Cajthaml, T., Baldrian, P., Hanel, L., Stary, J. Tajovsky, K. Materna, J. Novakova, A. de Ruiter, P.C. 2013. Soil Food Web Changes during Spontaneous Succession at Post Mining Sites: A Possible Ecosystem Engineering Effect on Food Web Organization? PLOS ONE 8 e79694
de Vries, F. T. Thebault, E. Liiri, M., Birkhofer, K. Tsiafouli, M. A. Bjornlund, L., Jorgensen, H, Bracht B., Mark V. Christensen, S., de Ruiter, P. C., d'Hertefeldt, T., Frouz, J., Hedlund, K. Hemerik, L., Hol, W. H. G., Hotes, S., Mortimer, S. R., Setala, H., Sgardelis, S. P., Uteseny, K., van der Putten, W. H., Wolters, V., Bardgett, R. D. 2013. Soil food web properties explain ecosystem services across European land use systems.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 110:14296-14301
Frouz, J., Toyota, A., Mudrak, O., et al. 2016. Effects of soil substrate quality, microbial diversity and community composition on the plant community during primary succession. Soil Biol. Biochem. 99, 75-84.
Frouz, J. 2017. Effect of soil development time and litter quality on soil carbon sequestration: assesing soil carbon saturation with a field transplant experiment. Land degradation and development 28, 664-672.
GA17-14409S, GA18-24138S
Institute for environmental studies
Deadline is closed