Please pass on the following information to anyone who you think may 
be interested. Many thanks.

Dan Charman

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Department of Geographical Sciences
University of Plymouth

3 year PhD studentship

MONITORING OMBROTROPHIC PEATLAND DAMAGE AND RESTORATION USING PROTOZOA
AS INDICATOR ORGANISMS

A collaborative project with Countryside Commission for 
Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage and English Nature

CONTACT DETAILS
Applications are by cv. and application form (available from Science
Faculty office 01752-232997 from whom further details may also be
requested). Informal enquiries should be directed to Dan Charman
([log in to unmask], Tel: 01752 233058, Fax: 01752-233054).

CLOSING DATE: May 14th 1999.

PROJECT OUTLINE
Monitoring the effectiveness of management strategies is important in
the assessment of the status of ombrotrophic peatlands for
conservation. Two key areas of concern are 1) the detection of low
level impacts from peripheral activities and 2) the monitoring of
peatland restoration activities. Hydrological monitoring is a key
component of management but systems are currently expensive, difficult
to maintain and the monitoring activity itself may disrupt the local
hydrology, leading to erroneous results. These problems become worse
over longer time periods, especially in the 10 to 50 year periods over
which hydrological and ecological changes need to be assessed. There
is therefore a need to develop an alternative technique for monitoring
restored peatlands over medium to long time scales. Recent work on the
response of testate amoebae (a group of protozoans) to hydrological
change, has demonstrated that water tables can be accurately predicted
from the assemblages of these organisms, which respond very rapidly to
change. This project aims to develop a methodology for cost effective
monitoring using testate amoebae as indicator organisms. The main
activities will be:1) The further development of transfer functions
relating water table status to protozoan populations, 2) Field and
laboratory experimental work on the nature and rate of response of
testate amoebae to hydrological change, 3) The development and
evaluation of methods for assessment of protozoan numbers and
assemblage composition.



Dr Dan Charman
Dept Geographical Sciences
University of Plymouth
Plymouth, Devon, UK
PL4 8AA

Tel: 01752-233058
Fax: 01752-233054
Email: [log in to unmask]


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