II environment
topics market2020/2021
When?
Summer 2020
WHERE?
This year we went virtual
Visit our pages
SUBJECTS • Biodiversity • Water & hydrology • Fires • Soil • Contamination• Social dynamics
TO WHOM?All the
STUDENTS
FOR WHAT?Internships
BSc. projects
MSc. thesis
SPONSORS
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
www.cesam.ua.pt/mt
Martinho Martins,
PhD student
Environmental Engineer
My research centers on how
primary forest soil functions are
affected by the construction of
terraces in forest plantations, and
their implications for hydrological
and erosive processes; soil
biological activity and functional
diversity; and on the associated
ecosystem services.
Integrated impact assessment of terrace
construction on forest soil functions
The ESP team has been integrated in the Centre
for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM),
Dept. of Environment and Planning (DAO) of the
University of Aveiro, since 2005. One of the
principal research topics of the ESP team has
been the abiotic and biotic impacts of wildfires,
with a special focus on soil erosion and its
mitigation as well as on the effects of wildfire
ash on water bodies and water quality. This was
and is being made possible by a series of
projects, post-doctoral and PhD grants, and
numerous MSc and BSc students and trainees
from a large number of countries.
And guess what?
We need students like you! If you wish to do your
internship / BSc / MSc with us…
Go ahead send me an email!
The ESP team
This research aims to assess how the construction
of terraces as preparation for plantation of fast-
growing tree species affects key ecosystem
functions commonly attributed to forest soils.
Methodology
Participation in fieldwork campaigns taking place in
recently terraced areas, to collect soil and biota
samples and further laboratory analysis in CESAM
research centre.
We offer a broad variety of soil physical and bio-
chemical theme opportunities such as: (i)
infiltration capacity; (ii) water retention curve; (iii)
aggregate stability; (iv) total organic carbon
content; (v) enzymatic activity of major
biogeochemical cycles (C, N and P); (vi)biodiversity indices.
Requirements
In this research, a combination of soil
respiration, ecosystem respiration and
laboratory methods will be used to
understand these CO2 pulses.
Some research questions are:
How does rainfall affect CO2 pulses?
How long does it take after the rainfall to
observe the CO2 pulse?
How does the CO2 pulse depend on soil
physical, chemical and biological
properties?
Is the CO2 pulse observable at the
ecosystem scale?
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
Carbon fluxes with time-since-wildfire
ESP TEAM
The ESP team has been integrated in
the Centre for Environmental and Marine
Studies (CESAM), Dept. of Environment
and Planning (DAO) of the University of
Aveiro since 2005. Two of the principal
research topics of the ESP team are the
abiotic and biotic impacts of wildfires.
We need students like you!
If you want to do your MSc thesis,
dissertation, project, or internship with
us, go ahead and send an email!
If your research interest is within the
scope of this project, but is not listed
here, just send an email and we will
certainly hear your opinion and try to
accommodate your interests!
Requirements
This research requires participation both
in field work in burnt areas in Portugal
and laboratory work for a minimum
period of 6 months.
In situ rainfall simulations
Measurement of ecosystem CO2
and H2O fluxes
In situ measurement of soil respiration
The project:
Wildfires affect forest carbon pools
directly, through combustion/heating
processes, and indirectly, by changing
abiotic (e.g. soil temperature) and biotic
(e.g. leaf area index) conditions. The
indirect impacts appear to be important,
as model results suggest that post-fire
carbon losses are roughly equivalent to
emissions during the fire.
The pulse of carbon dioxide (CO2)
resulting from the first rainfall after the
wildfire and subsequent dry periods is
well documented at the landscape scale
but the underpinning processes are not
well explored.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
www.cesam.ua.pt/bruna.oliveira
Bruna Oliveira
PhD Environmental Technology
My research focuses on carbon
fluxes with time-since-wildfire.
I have expertise in the use of the
eddy covariance technique to
compute ecosystem carbon fluxes
as well as in situ measurements of
soil respiration and complementary
laboratory analysis of soils and
vegetation.
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
www.cesam.ua.pt/frankverheijen
Frank Verheijen is a physical
geographer who received his PhD
in soil science in 2006. He has
focused his research on soil
organic matter, how to manage it,
and how it interacts with the wider
environment. Currently he is an
FCT Assistant Researcher at
CESAM where he focuses on
elucidating positive as well as
negative effects of biochar in soil,
and identifying trade-offs in order to
build a sustainable biochar
system.
ESP TEAM
The Earth Surface Processes (ESP) team has been integrated in
the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM),
Dept. of Environment and Planning (DAO) of the University of
Aveiro, since 2005. Desertification is one of the major threats to
Portugal. Biochar addition to soil allows a much greater soil
organic carbon content than is possible otherwise, and with that
more soil water storage, i.e. the Soil Sponge Function.
Within this thematic, you can find the following opportunities for
MSc theses:
- The effects of biochar on soil erosion/infiltration/runoff
- The effects of biochar on soil moisture and soil water
repellency
- The effects of biochar on soil structure and soil ecology
And guess what?
We need students like you! If you wish to do your internship /
MSc with us, go ahead send me an email!
Poor soils
The Available Water Capacity (AWC) – how much water the soil
can retain – is low for Portuguese soils compared to other
Mediterranean countries (see above). The AWC is simply computed
from clay and soil organic carbon data. A more practical concept is
the Sponge Function of soil (see right). The soil clay and organic
matter content along with how they are structured – aggregate
distribution – determine how much water can be retained. But
surface processes – vegetation cover, hydrophobicity, crusting –
determine how much of the rainfall enters the soil in the first place.
Together they determine the Sponge Function of soils, and it is very
important to combat the risk of desertification (see left).
Sponge Function
Biochar
Desertification risk
Improving the Soil Sponge function
Biochar
Our work in the SOILCOMBAT project has shown that when we add the right biochar to the
right soil (critical matching) we can increase the infiltration by 50%, reduce the erosion by
60%, and double the amount of water in the soil in between rainfall events.
SOILCOMBAT aims to engineer the sponge function of Portuguese soils to sustainably
combat desertification.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
www.cesam.ua.pt/icampos
Isabel Campos , PhD
Chemist
My research focuses on the
chemical and (eco)toxicological
effects of potentially toxic elements
(such as metals and PAHs) on both
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,
with a special emphasizes on the
impacts of wildfires in forest
ecosystems.
AQUAFIRE project
Aquatic
ecosystem
RISKS to:
Human
health
Wildfire inputs of potentially toxic and persistence elements, such as metals and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), can threaten freshwater resources with
catastrophic implications for the aquatic ecosystems. It´s therefore urgent to assess the
impacts of post-fire contaminants on water quality, aquatic biota and ecosystems
functioning as well as on human health.
Opportunities
Within this thematic you can find the following MSc research topics:
• The effectiveness of mulching to reduce post- fire export of potentially toxic metals to
water bodies.
• Fate and mobilization of metals and PAHs in wildfire-affected freshwater bodies.
• Ecotoxicological impacts of wildfires on freshwater ecosystems: assessment of
genotoxicity and biochemical endpoints.
• Investigation the collateral effects of wildfires in freshwater fish: alterations of fish
behaviour upon exposure to ashes from burned areas.
• Toxicological impacts of post-fire metals and PAHs: assessment of cytotoxicity through
the use of relevant human cell models.
Requirements
You just need basic knowledge of chemical and/or (eco)toxicological assessment, be
enthusiastic to learn and improve your skills.
Forest fires as drivers of non-point source
contamination to aquatic ecosystems
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
www.cesam.ua.pt/njabrantes
Nelson Abrantes , PhD
Biologist—Ecotoxicologist
My research interests are mainly
focused on the on-and-off-site
impacts of wildfires on both
terrestrial and aquatic
compartments, on the impacts of
diffuse sources of pollution (e.g.
agricultural activities) and on the
impacts of microplastics in
freshwater systems.
Contamination of freshwater ecosystems is one of the major
threats to the biota worldwide. Anthropogenic activities are
one of the main contributors to the degradation and pollution
of freshwater systems.. Toxic pollutants, such as toxic metals,
PAHs, and pesticides can have adverse effects on aquatic
ecosystems and human health.
Within this thematic, you can find the following opportunities
for MSc:
- Impacts of wildfires on freshwater ecosystems:
potential for trophic transfer of post-fire
contaminants – project AQUAFIRE (FCT)
- Impacts of pesticide mixtures on freshwater
species – project SPRINT (H2020)
- Impacts of microplastics in freshwater
ecosystems
2020
Aquatic ecosystem and Human health
Risk assessmentSTUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
Aquatic ecosystem
Human Health
Ash-loaded runoff
Water body
PAHs
Ni
Pb
Cu
Cd
Zn
AsHg
Cr
Post-fire contamination
Agricultural diffuse
pollution
Freshwater
contamination by
microplastics
www.cesam.ua.pt/anacaetano
Ana Luísa Caetano , PhD
Ecotoxicology and Environmental
Biology
My research focuses on effects of
different agricultural production
systems on soil quality, with a
special focus on soil biodiversity
and ecosystem functions.
Impact of different agricultural production systems
on soil biodiversity and ecosystem services
Effects of different pesticides on the soil microbial community
The ESP team has been integrated in the Centre
for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM),
Dept. of Environment and Planning (DAO) of the
University of Aveiro, since 2005. Among others, the
ESP team is researching the impacts
of anthropogenic activities, like the intensification of
agriculture, on soil quality, namely on soil
vineyards, with a special focus on
soil biodiversity and soil functions. In the ESP team
some projects are being deployed to ensure more
protective agricultural production methods can be
adopted aiming at natural resources preservation
agroecosystems stability, nutrients cycle stability,
intrinsic soil fertility preservation and promotion of
biodiversity, without compromising the agricultural
products quality.
Among agricultural soil threats, pesticides
constitute a major environmental problem, namely
in vineyard systems. The presence of these
compounds in the soil may influence the
biochemical processes by affecting both microbial
development and enzyme activity.
The ESP team
This project requires the activity assessment of key soil
enzymes, related to the cycle of the main biologically
important nutrients (C, N, P, S) in vineyard soils from
distinct agricultural production systems (conventional,
integrated and biological).
RequirementsInteresting?! don't you think?
If you wish to do your internship / BSc / MSc with
us, go ahead send me an email!
Project description
Microbial communities play important roles in soil because of
the many functions they perform in nutrient cycling, plant
symbioses, decomposition, and other ecosystem processes.
Soil enzymes have been suggested as suitable indicators of
soil quality as they contribute to the total biological activities in
the soil environment and are intimately involved in catalyzing
reactions necessary for organic matter decomposition, nutrient
cycling, energy transfer, and environmental quality.
Currently use pesticides
Inorganic pesticides
Participation in the collection of soil samples
in different agricultural production systems before and
during the vineyards treatment
period. Laboratory analyses of collected soils in terms
of enzyme activity determination.
Methodology
SoilQuality
?
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
www.cesam.ua.pt/dalilaserpa
Dalila Serpa, PhD
Biologist
My research focuses on the
impacts of wildfires on aquatic
ecosystems, more specifically, on
the development of a modelling tool
to reproduce the physical, chemical
and biological processes in fire-
impacted water bodies, in order to
aid natural resource managers to
anticipate the risks of wildfires.
Modelling the toxic effects of fire-related complex
contaminant mixtures on benthic aquatic species
The ESP team is integrated in the Centre for
Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Dept. of
Environment and Planning (DAO) of the University of
Aveiro since 2005. One of the principal research
topics of the ESP team has been the abiotic and biotic
impacts of wildfires, with a special focus on soil
erosion and its mitigation as well as on the effects of
wildfire ash and post-fire runoff on water bodies.
This was and is being made possible by a series of
projects, post-doctoral and PhD grants, and numerous
MSc and BSc students and trainees from different
countries.
Ashes and post-fire runoff contain a wide diversity of
contaminants, forming a complex mixture. When
reaching aquatic systems, this mixture may cause
toxicity to organisms living in the water column and in
the sediment.
Toxicity of complex chemical mixtures should be
evaluated for a realistic assessment of the risks posed
by wildfires on aquatic ecosystems, in particular on
benthic species, which are more likely to be affected
by these contaminants as they preferentially adsorb to
sediment particles.
The ESP teamThis project requires a background in biological or
environmental sciences and enthusiasm for field and
laboratory work.
Research topicsWithin this project, we can offer you the following
research topics:
1. Ecotoxicological effects of ash and post-fire runoff on
aquatic species
2. Wildfire impacts on the aquatic biota – does water
hardness matter?
3. Modelling the ecotoxicological effects of fire-related
contaminants on aquatic species
If you wish to do your internship / BSc. / MSc. with
us, go ahead send me an email!
You will benefit from an international, interdisciplinary
team of experts in various fields, with many years of
successfully integrating students into their innovative,
international research.
Requirements
FIREMIX project
Come to the team!
ESP-Team in University of Aveiro (http://espteam.web.ua.pt/) is an
international leading research group looking at abiotic and biotic
impacts of wildfires and their mitigation. The team has out-standing
peer-reviewed articles in fire-induced soil erosion and the effects of
wildfire ash on water bodies and water quality. This was and is
being made possible by a series of projects, post-doctoral and PhD
grants, and numerous MSc and BSc international students and
trainees.
Oscar Gonzalez-Pelayo
PhD in Soil Science.
My research explores the (good &
bad) impacts of fires on soils. I have
studied desertification processes
derived from wildfires & post-fire
effects on erosion, hydrology &
ecosystem services. I like to develop
user-friendly metrics for soil
processes. I´ve wide fieldwork
experience within European projects
& successfully supervised 11 BSc &
MSc theses. I enjoy being outdoors
(gardening, surfing, cycling & doing
fieldwork).
Control of alien species using prescribed fires:
developing measures to monitor landscape functions
Why is this research important?
In North-Central Portugal, changes in fire regimes
have favoured the expansion of invasive vegetative
species such as Hakea sericea Schrad. and Acacia
dealbata Link. Both species regenerate after
wildfires, hindering regeneration of native
ecosystems, which increases fire risk. The use of
PRESCRIBED BURNING (PB) can decrease their
populations. There is a need to explore appropriate
PB techniques and monitoring metrics to implement
it in a way beneficial for ecosystem services (ESs).The envisaged BSc or MSc theses will participate in assessing ESs provided by soil- such as
erosion control, water supply, carbon balance or biodiversity- & how they are impacted by PB. It
will include field-work to measure soil indicators (warning signals & soil properties) in a set of
experimental plots in invaded areas and treated with different PB combinations, i.e. burn vs.
slash & burn. The goal is to identify early warning signals of soil ESs degradation that are
‘tipping points’ that move the ecosystem from a desired ecosystem state to an undesired one.
This opportunity is part of the project FOGO E INVASORAS (PDR2020-101-030919). The
project’s overall methodology is the “Landscape Functional Analysis” which allows to assess
how effectively landscapes regulate vital resources at the hillslope scale in a response to a
disturbance as PBs.
Description of opportunity
RQ- Which effects does PB (freq & severity) have on soil ESs?
Topics
1-Influence of PBs treatments on landscape functional status after alien sp invasion.
2-What are the effects of PBs on vegetation community in fire prone areas?
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
The ESPteam
The ESP team has been integrated in the Centre for
Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Dept.
of Environment and Planning (DAO) of the University
of Aveiro since 2005. The principal research topics of
the ESP team are the abiotic and biotic impacts of
wildfires, with a special focus on soil erosion and its
mitigation as well as on the effects of wildfire ash on
water bodies and water quality.
Who are We?
DO YOU HAVE A THING FOR MODELLING?
We need students like you!
If you wish to do your internship, BSc or MSc thesis with us, go ahead and send us an email!
P.S. Mandatory participation in fieldwork campaigns.
Modelling hydrological responses in burned
and unburned forests
HYDROLOGICAL
MODELLING
WATER QUALITY
RUNOFF AND FLOW
PREDICTIONS
FOREST MANAGEMENT
POST-FIRE MITIGATION
SOIL PARAMETERS
Antonio Girona-García
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Fire effects on soil
Diana Vieira
Assistant Researcher
Post-fire impacts,
mitigation, modelling
Ana Rita Lopes
PhD Student
Forest management
and post-fire mitigation
Marta Basso
PhD Student
Post-fire modelling
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
www.cesam.ua.pt/ana_isabel_machado
Ana Isabel Machado, PhD
Environmental Engineer
My research topic encompasses
the study of nature-based
solutions to mitigate both soil
forest fertility loss and water body
pollution through the development
and application of organic
residues.
The ESP team has been integrated in the Centre
for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM),
Dept. of Environment and Planning (DAO) of the
University of Aveiro since 2005. Two of the
principal research topics of the ESP team are
abiotic and biotic impacts of wildfires, with a
special focus on soil erosion and its mitigation as
well as on the effects of wildfire ash on water
bodies and water quality. This was and is being
made possible by a series of projects, post-
doctoral and PhD grants, and numerous MSc and
BSc students and trainees from a large number of
countries.
And guess what?
We need students like you!
If you wish to do your internship / BSc / MSc with
us, go ahead send me an email!
The ESP team
This research topic requires the development and
application of organic materials to improve forest
soil fertility while reducing water body pollution. This
two-fold approach will focus on soil nutrients
enrichment and amendments.
Methodology
Participation in laboratory experiments and/or
fieldwork campaigns in forest areas recently burned
or intervened for soil, sediments and water
collection. Likewise, laboratory analyses of soil,
organic residues and water quality parameters with
focus on nutrient dynamics is expected, as well as
data treatments analyses in order to uncover the
treatments effectiveness.
Requirements
Forest soil fertility enhancement through
organic residuesSTUDENT OPPORTUNITY
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
2020
www.cesam.ua.pt/ricardo.martins
Ricardo Martins,
PhD, MSc, and BSc in Civil
Engineering with specialization
in Hydraulics, Water Resources
and Environment by the University
of Coimbra. Since the begging of
research activities has been
conducting research in the
Universities of (i) Coimbra, (ii)
Sheffield ,(iii) Exeter, (iv) Munich, &
(v) Aveiro.
Wildfire ASH MOBilization by wind and water erosion:
a combined measurement-modeling approach for
prediction of post-fire ash mobilization risk
The ESP team
The ESP team has been integrated in the Centre for
Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Dept. of
Environment and Planning (DAO) of the University of
Aveiro since 2005. One of the principal research
topics of the ESP team has been the abiotic and biotic
impacts of wildfires, with a special focus on soil
erosion and its mitigation as well as on the effects of
wildfire ash on water bodies and water quality. This
was and is being made possible by a series of
projects, post-doctoral and PhD grants, and
numerous MSc and BSc students and trainees from a
large number of countries.
ASHMOB project
In Portugal, wildfires have affected 100.000 ha per
year and >300.000 ha in extreme years. A key
societal concern regarding wildfires is their impacts on
forest ecosystem services, with erosion control being
an important focus of post-fire land management in
Portugal, starting with emergency stabilization reports
by ICNF. This project addresses the lack of
knowledge that currently exists regarding the ash
layer deposited by wildfire and, in particular, its
subsequent mobilization by wind and water erosion.
And guess what?
We need students like you! If you wish to do your
internship / BSc / MSc with us, go ahead send me
an email!
Why this research is important?Currently, no model explicitly simulates mobilization
of the ash layer deposited by wildfire, in spite wildfire
ash is not only highly erodible but also contains a
significant part of a forest's nutrient capital and has
high contaminant loads (with marked ecotoxicological
effects). This omission in the existing models must be
understood against the generalized lack of
information on ash deposition by wildfires and, even
more so, its subsequent mobilization by wind and
water erosion.
OpportunityWithin this context, the ESP team can offer you the
following MSc research topics:
- Quantifying ash mobilization by splash under a
simulated rainfall (lab work)
- Experimental measurement of ash mobilization by
run-on on a flume (lab work)
- Assessment of mitigation measures of ash transport
by water considering rainfall and runoff (lab work)
- Incorporation of experimentally obtained splash,
run-on, and runoff erosion data in hydrological
models (numerical modelling)
The ESP team will host you and train you. You will
benefit from an international interdisciplinary team of
experts in various fields , with many years of
successfully integrating students into their innovative,
international research.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
1D/2D dual drainage urban flood modelling
The ESP team
The ESP team has been integrated in the
Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies
(CESAM), Dept. of Environment and Planning
(DAO) of the University of Aveiro since 2005.
Why this research is important?
It is being increasingly recognised that flood
events can cause a significant public health
risk, due to the transport of contaminated
materials from drainage/sewer networks into
urban floodwaters, as a result of blockages
caused by debris/sediments transported from
the surface. It is also reckoned that the
frequency and magnitude of intense rainfall,
which causes such events, is likely to increase
in the future.
And guess what?
We need students like you! If you wish to do
your internship / BSc / MSc with us, go ahead
send me an email!
URGENT project
The management and mitigation of flood risk is
currently built on state-of-the-art hydrodynamic
modelling tools which aim to simulate both
overland and drainage networks flows.
Furthermore, the accuracy, reliability, and utility
of such models are also dependant on
understanding the interaction between surface
and drainage flows at gullies and inlets. With
the advancement of science, state-of-the-art
tools must be able to not only accurately
replicate the hydraulic behaviour inside the
drainage system, the flow routing in the surface
urban environment, and the interaction in the
linking elements between these systems but
also include the transport of suspendedsediments and soluble pollutants.
Opportunity
Within this context, the ESP team can offer you
the following research topics:
- Study of pluvial flood flows and pollutant
transport at and between system interface
points.
- Study of the numerical schemes used for the
transition between pressurized and free
surface flow
The ESP team will host you and train you. You
will benefit from an international
interdisciplinary team of experts in various
fields, with many years of successfully
integrating students into their innovative,
international research
www.cesam.ua.pt/ricardo.martins
Ricardo Martins,
PhD, MSc, and BSc in Civil
Engineering with specialization in
Hydraulics, Water Resources and
Environment by the University of
Coimbra. Since the begging of
research activities has been
conducting research in the
Universities of (i) Coimbra, (ii)
Sheffield ,(iii) Exeter, (iv) Munich, &
(v) Aveiro.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
University of Aveiro, Dept. Environment & Planning
www.cesam.ua.pt/jjkeizer
espteam.web.ua.pt/
email: [email protected]
skype: live:jeejeeka_1
Jacob Keizer, PhD
EcoHydrologist
My research focuses on forest
hydrology and soil erosion, with a
special emphasis on the direct
impacts of wildfires on vegetation
and soils and their indirect impacts
on carbon fluxes as well as on runoff
generation and the associated soil,
organic matter and nutrient losses
from plot to catchment scale.
Field monitoring of forest runoff and soil erosion
processes from plot to catchment
The ESP team has been integrated in the Centre for
Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Dept. of
Environment and Planning (DAO) of the University of
Aveiro since 2005. The ESP team has a long-standing
tradition of field studies of hydrological and soil erosion
(sensu latu) processes, with a special emphasis on
recently burnt areas and testing so-called emergency
stabilization measures that aim to reduce wildfire-
enhanced runoff generation and associated transport
of sediments (soil and wildfire ash), organic matter and
C, nutrients and contaminants.
Since 2005, well over 100 national and international
students and trainees from across Europe have made
significant contributions to the ongoing studies and
projects of the ESP team, while collecting data and
samples in the field, analyzing these samples in the
laboratory, analyzing and interpreting the obtained
field and laboratory results, and writing it all up in their
theses and reports. In numerous cases, these
theses/reports have been the basis for articles in
international journals, co-authored by the students/
trainees in question.
And guess what?
We continue having excellent opportunities for thesis
studies and traineeships, so consider joining us!!!!
The ESP teamThe following 4 ongoing projects are offering opportunities for carrying out
traineeships and BSc/MSc thesis studies that involve a combination of
fieldwork, laboratory work, and data analysis:
1) ASHES - assessing the importance of riparian zones to the export of
wildfire ash by overland flow from hillslope to stream;
2) ASHMOB - quantifying the mobilization of wild fire ash by wind and
water erosion;
3) EPyRIS - assessing the effectiveness of soil conservation measures
such as mulching and shrub barriers to reduce post-fire soil erosion;
4) WAFLE - analyzing the role of forest type and management in the
hydrological response and surface water quality at plot to catchment
scale.
Opportunities for 2020/21
contrasting soil burn severities
generalized overland flow generation during 2nd post-fire rainfall event
immediate post-fire mulching with pine wood chips and pine needles
ASHES, ASHMOB and EPyRIS
will be looking for suitable study
areas (to be) burnt during the
summer of 2021, in principal in
protected areas in the case of
EPyRIS.
WAFLE is operating 7
experimental catchments in
north-central Portugal that are
dominated by eucalypt or pine
stands, 2 of which also include
runoff plots.