About this role
Job offer - JOB - Netherlands - University of Amsterdam (UvA) via AcademicTransfer - Posted on: 17 September 2026 PhD position on how vegetation influences soil microbial processes and carbon cycling across scales Page contents 17 Sep 2026 University of Amsterdam (UvA) Research Field Environmental science » Ecology Environmental science » Global change Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 18 Oct 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 38.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description How does vegetation protect soil microorganisms from climate extremes, and what does this mean for ecosystem carbon cycling? Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts and heat waves, impacting ecosystem carbon storage worldwide. Join the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) in this interdisciplinary project to uncover how vegetation traits and structure shape below-ground microclimates, which in turn regulate soil microbial processes and influence ecosystem carbon cycling across. About the position Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts, with profound consequences for ecosystem carbon cycling. While drought effects on aboveground vegetation have been studied extensively, our understanding of how vegetation structure and functional traits influence belowground microbial processes and carbon stocks remains limited. Soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, so even small changes belowground can have major implications for carbon storage and climate feedbacks. Vegetation strongly modifies the microclimate experienced by soils. By reducing radiation and evaporative demand from the soil surfa...