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University of Birmingham
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PhD Studentship: Less emission, more aerosol — How elevated CO2 changes organic gas emissions from forests and their capacity to form particles University of Birmingham in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Chemistry
Funding
Available
Deadline
Jan 6, 2027
Country
United Kingdom
University
University of Birmingham
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About this position
This PhD studentship investigates how rising atmospheric CO2 may alter forest emissions of volatile organic compounds and, in turn, the ability of those emissions to form secondary organic aerosol. The project is framed around a key climate question: whether a mature forest that emits different mixtures of plant gases under elevated CO2 could produce more or less aerosol, even if total emissions decline.
The research focuses on a mature oak woodland at the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) FACE facility, where a forest stand has been exposed to CO2 150 ppm above ambient since 2017 alongside control plots at current CO2. This rare experimental setting allows direct measurement of emissions from a future forest rather than relying only on models or short-term chamber studies.
The doctoral researcher will measure the mixtures of VOCs emitted under ambient and elevated CO2, recreate those mixtures in the laboratory to test how efficiently they form aerosol particles, and then use a chemical box model to identify which compounds drive any differences. The work connects plant biochemistry, atmospheric chemistry, and aerosol physics to understand how forest-climate feedbacks may shift under CO2 fertilisation.
Part of the laboratory work will be carried out at the University of Eastern Finland with Dr Angela Buchholz in the ACE-Forest Centre of Excellence, a group known for research on aerosol formation from real plant emissions. The project therefore combines field measurements in a mature temperate woodland with laboratory experiments and mechanistic modelling across two research environments.
The outcome is intended to provide the first direct, mechanistic estimate of how elevated CO2 changes the aerosol-forming potential of a mature temperate forest.
Funding details
Available
What's required
Applicants should have at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or a pass at UK MSc level, or an equivalent qualification. International applicants must meet the University’s international student entry requirements, including English language requirements. International students are eligible for studentships up to 30% of the cohort.
How to apply
Read the project advert and apply via the CENTA studentship page. Consult the CENTA apply page for instructions on the studentship application process. Submit your application before the deadline.
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