Descripción
Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre Third-cycle subject area Forest management Description of the doctoral project Birch is becoming increasingly important in Swedish forestry as a complement to conifers and as part of climate-adapted forest diversification. Its wider use, however, requires better knowledge of the interacting biotic and abiotic threats that affect young plantations and older stands. This four-year doctoral project will investigate biotic risks associated with birch and builds on research initiated during the first phase of Trees For Me. It combines two connected research tracks: damage in newly planted birch stands, including browsing, insects, pathogens and abiotic stress; and an emerging decline syndrome in older birch stands where trees show severe crown deterioration or mortality and the causal agents remain unresolved. The project is based at the Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre in Alnarp and is part of Trees For Me, a Centre of Excellence focused on fast-growing broadleaved trees for sustainable forests, materials and energy. The doctoral student will join a multidisciplinary forest research environment and work with academic, public- and private-sector partners. The project will combine field experiments and forest health surveys with disease and damage assessment, fungal isolation and culturing, molecular diagnostics, and ecological and statistical data analysis. About the position The doctoral student will plan and carry out field and laboratory studies, analyse and interpret data, and communicate results through scientific articles, conference presentations and engagement with project partners. The work will involve substantial field activities at sites across Sweden as well as laboratory work in Alnarp. The doctoral student will complete relevant doctoral courses and is expected to develop increasing independence in research planning, implementation and scientific writing. Requirements To meet the general entry requirements you