Michelle
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Dr Michelle Fountain
Research Leader in Entomology
East Malling Research, New Road, East Malling, Kent ME19 6BJ
Tel: (+44) (0) 1732 523 749, Fax: (+44) (0) 1732 849 067
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The following studentships are available;
Multitrophic ecosystem services of hoverflies resulting from Integrated Pest Management
Supervisor: Professor Mark J F Brown
Email: Αυτή η διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε.|
Co-supervisors: Professor John Mumford (Imperial College) & Dr Michelle Fountain (East Malling Research Centre)
Project description:
This project will identify the ecological and economic impact of hoverflies on pest control and pollination in strawberry crops. It will determine environmental features that drive hoverfly populations so that growers can foster this key pest control agent. The student will gain skills in crop husbandry, ecology, pest management, insect pollination and genetic analyses of high-throughput sequence data. Hoverflies are important predators of aphid pests on many fruit and vegetable crops. A pilot study at EMR demonstrated the majority of wild insects visiting strawberry flowers were hoverflies, implying that they are also providing pollination services. Here we will provide the first proof of whether two ecosystem services (pest management and pollination) are provided by the same subset of species and how growing practices and the surrounding environment impact hoverfly populations remain untested. To do this we will use a mix of field experiments and next generation DNA-sequencing to identify predator-prey relationships. This research will be of major value to a significant UK crop, as well as meeting the Sustainable Use Directive aim to protect horticultural crops against pests by using resilient integrated management systems, with less reliance on pesticide products, alongside protecting human health and the environment. It will be a novel and exciting new collaboration between RHUL, Imperial and East Malling Research. Applicants should be enthusiastic about pure and applied research. They should possess at least a good 2:I or 1st class degree in an appropriate discipline (biology, ecology, zoology, botany).
http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=50542
Multi-trophic impacts on the supply of a key ecosystem service: the economic and ecological impacts of parasites of pollinating insects on pollination
Supervisor:Professor Mark J F Brown
Email: Αυτή η διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε. |
Co-supervisors: Dr Michelle Fountain (East Malling Research)
Project description:
Bumblebees provide crucial pollination services to crops and wild plants. Recent work has suggested that commercially reared bumblebees suffer from high parasite loads, that may impact upon their behaviour and lifespan. However, the implications of this for pollination in crops remains unexplored. This exciting project is a collaboration between Royal Holloway University of London, East Malling Research, and BerryGardens (the UK’s leading soft-fruit company). The student will conduct lab, greenhouse and field experiments to measure the ecological and economic impacts of parasites on the pollination efficiency of bumblebees. In addition, they will enjoy a placement with BerryGardens, where they will learn key transferable and industrial skills, to complement the research skills they will develop during this PhD. Applicants should be enthusiastic about pure and applied research, as well as the opportunity to gain cross-over skills between academia and industry. They should possess at least a good 2:I or 1st class degree in an appropriate discipline (biology, ecology, zoology, botany).
http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=20959
