PhD Studentship: The Impact of Peatland Rewetting on Invertebrate and Microbial Assemblages Manchester Metropolitan University in United Kingdom

[Home tuition fees (£5,006/year) covered for three years; international students must pay the difference. Standard UKRI stipend of £20,780 for 2025/26.]

This PhD studentship at Manchester Metropolitan University offers an exciting opportunity to investigate the ecological impacts of peatland rewetting, focusing on invertebrate and microbial assemblages in the UK’s upland peatlands, particularly within the Peak District National Park. Healthy peatlands are crucial for carbon sequestration, climate regulation, water management, and biodiversity, but 80% of UK peatlands are currently degraded. Restoration efforts over the past 15 years—including gully blocking, bunding, and rewetting—have created thousands of ponds and bogs, yet the long-term biological effects of these interventions remain poorly understood.

The project adopts a systemic, evidence-based approach to assess biodiversity indicators and ecosystem functioning across restored sites. It aims to fill critical knowledge gaps by comparing restoration outcomes over time and across different management regimes. The research will inform future policy, guide land management practices, and support stakeholders such as conservation organisations, private landowners, and the water industry in making data-driven decisions for sustainable peatland recovery.

Key aims and objectives include: conducting a literature review on peatland restoration success in the UK; identifying peatland sites for robust replication across various restoration timelines and interventions; collecting field data to provide novel evidence for biodiversity gains and losses using key bioindicator groups and environmental factors; performing detailed lab-based taxonomy of invertebrate material; analysing water and soil parameters; and statistically evaluating the causal effects of rewetting schemes on ecological and functional outcomes.

Funding is available for both Home and International students. Home tuition fees (£5,006/year) are covered for three years, while international students must pay the difference in tuition fees. The studentship includes a standard UKRI stipend of £20,780 for the academic year 2025/26. Applicants should have a strong academic background in biology, ecology, or environmental science, experience in upland peatland fieldwork, and familiarity with ecosystem services and conservation issues. Experience engaging with landowners and stakeholders is also essential.

To apply, interested candidates should contact Dr. Scott Pedley for an informal discussion and complete the online application form for a full-time PhD in Biological Science. Applicants must submit the Doctoral Project Applicant Form, CV, and a covering letter outlining their skills, experience, and motivation for the project via the University’s Admissions Portal. The application deadline is 19 March 2026, with an expected start date in October 2026. Please quote reference SciEng-SP-October 2026-27-Peatland Biodiversity Trajectories.