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Assessing the impacts of armed conflict on ecosystems
Project Description
Today, more armed conflicts are under way than at any point since the Second World War, potentially significantly hindering biodiversity conservation and nature recovery efforts globally. Yet, to date, very little is known about the impacts of armed conflicts on ecosystems, how these may be shaped by the current climate emergency, and the recovery of these ecological systems.
Research on the effects of armed conflicts on ecosystems has been limited for obvious reasons. But over the past decades, the use of satellite imagery, the tracking of social media and other open-source intelligence, have substantially improved opportunities for the monitoring of locations that are difficult or dangerous to work in.
This project will capitalise on remote sensing data availability and advances in big data science to build an understanding of the short- and long-term impacts of armed conflicts on ecosystem composition, structure and functioning. Using a carefully selected set of case studies, it will explore how ecosystem type, landscape considerations and rapid changes in climatic conditions shape these impacts.
The proposed research is of high applied value, providing the much-required evidence to support the growth of sustainable, impactful conservation projects that mitigate the effects of conflict on biodiversity. It will provide the recruited PhD student with a firm foundation to demonstrate excellence in both computational and ecological sciences.
Research themes
Project Specific Training
The student will receive full training in all the approaches relevant to the PhD project; this includes training in satellite remote sensing analyses (including machine learning and CNN), statistics, ecosystem ecology and conservation, and climate change ecology. To ensure that the student’s training needs are met, a Learning Needs Assessment will take place at the start of the PhD to identify, among other things, relevant TREES training opportunities but also other courses and external training opportunities that the student will benefit from. IoZ moreover possesses a vibrant PhD student community and internally provides a wide range of training and support opportunities. As part of the studentship, the student will also be expected to publish their findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals as well as attend conferences and symposia to present their work, which will then train them to communicate with academic audiences. In addition, the supervisors will ensure that the student has opportunities to present and highlight their work to non-specialist audiences including conservation NGOs and policy specialists.
Potential Career Trajectory
This studentship will enable development of interdisciplinary skills in artificial intelligence, quantitative ecology and environmental science by combining approaches in computer, data, and conservation science. The project also has high policy relevance. As such, this project could support a diverse set of potential career pathways, including the development of a career in academia, the NGO sector, consultancy and civil service.
Project supervisor/s
Nathalie Pettorelli
Institute of Zoology
UCL
Nathalie.Pettorelli@ioz.ac.uk
Supervision balance
75:25