PhD opportunity at Curtin University, Perth, Australia(OT135)

PhD opportunity at Curtin University, Perth, Australia.

Soil organic carbon (C) is highly variable and depends on the annual inputs of biomass, the type of land management, the soil type and the vulnerability of soil C to decomposition. Current methods for measuring and monitoring change in soil organic C are expensive and inefficient. To assess and monitor changes in organic C in soil, for example for C accounting in farms, we need to develop cost-efficient methods for monitoring it. The aim of this PhD project is to gain a deeper understanding of the controls on soil organic carbon and to develop a scientifically robust and practical approach that integrates (i) unbiased soil sampling designs, (ii) new sensing methods to accurately measure the C stocks, and (ii) robust spatio-temporal modelling to estimate the C stocks and its change over time.

The successful candidate will gain experience in soil statistical analyses, new soil sensing methods, multivariate statistics, machine learning, empirical and mechanistic modelling and legislated methodologies for soil C accounting.

The PhD stipend is valued at $29,000 p.a. for a maximum of 3.5 years. For a successful international student, PhD tuition fees offsets will apply. The scholarship is a full-time enrolment, no part-time, casual or other are allowed.

Interested? Please contact Raphael Viscarra Rossel +61 467 769 364, email on r.viscarra-rossel@curtin.edu.au and see here http://curtin.edu/soil-landscape-sci for more information.