Understanding reproductive success to evaluate the impact of global warming on Andean trees.

Description

Background

Tropical forests are among Earth’s most vital ecosystems in terms of carbon storage, climate regulation, and biodiversity, but their response to climate change remains deeply uncertain. As temperatures rise, thousands of tropical tree species are expected to be forced to “migrate” to higher elevations to remain within suitable conditions. The success or failure of these migrations will have profound consequences, potentially leading to widespread extinctions and permanent changes in the composition and functioning of forests globally.

Shifting their distribution range (migrating) to higher elevations is the most likely survival option for thousands of plant species that cannot acclimate fast enough to the new conditions. Nevertheless, the ability of species to successfully migrate up mountains remains highly uncertain, and we suspect that multiple factors will affect species migration success, including changes in environmental conditions along the elevational gradient, such as light and moisture availability, associated with the mid-elevation cloud forest ecotone.

Goals

This project aims to explore the mechanisms that affect range shifts in the Andean cloudbase zone, in particular, we want to evaluate the impact of warming on one of the most sensitive stages of a tree’s life cycle, the flowering phase. We will monitor the reproductive ability (pollen, seed viability, fruit production) of a group of Andean tree species across their distribution range and we will perform a cutting-edge floral heating experiment to mimic warming conditions. The student will have the opportunity to explore and expand questions such as:

- How does reproductive ability vary along the distributional range of montane species? Can we observe a difference in species distributions' trailing and leading edges?

- Is the reproductive ability of trees affected by experimental heating? How does the response change along the species’ distribution range?

The monitoring and heating experiments will be set up in Podocarpus National Park, in Ecuador, with optimal logistical conditions and extensive expertise. The project requires data collection during at least 2 field seasons where it will be necessary to climb trees.

Training and Collaborations

The PhD student will benefit from being embedded within a larger funded project, providing additional resources, and research and training support. The PhD student will join a new research team led by Dr Belen Fadrique, supported by a technician and, in the next year, another PhD student and a postdoctoral researcher, plus a larger network of collaborators in Liverpool and internationally. The team will support the PhD student with training in field and lab techniques, and analyses relevant to the project. In particular, we will support professional training on tree climbing (https://www.canopyaccess.co.uk/) and tropical botany (https://environment.fiu.edu/ictb/). Additional training on complementary research skills and career development will also be provided. There will be funding and opportunities for undertaking local outreach activities, attending international conferences, visiting international collaborators, and getting involved in additional lab projects. The two new PhD students will work in the same location and support each other’s projects throughout.

This position poses an exciting opportunity to carry out novel inspiring research on one of the most important challenges faced by current society, in a supportive, well-resourced, and inclusive environment. The supervisory team has an international collaborative background and includes complementary skills to support all aspects of the project.

Qualifications

The minimum required qualification is a 2.1 class undergraduate degree in Biology/Ecology and related subjects, and ideally a MS degree in Ecology/Botany/Environmental Science or similar (or currently studying for one). The project has a significant field component in tropical forests, so we are looking for someone who is comfortable spending time in the field and in particular, comfortable with learning to climb trees (~15m) and working in the canopy. Candidates should ideally have some training in statistics and R coding. A medium level of Spanish will be helpful but not essential. Our research involves collaboration with a range of international academic partners and organizations, any evidence of good collaboration skills will be valued. We recognise that diversity adds strength to our team and society, so we encourage applications from diverse backgrounds.

Candidates are encouraged to contact Belen Fadrique: bjfadrique@gmail.com who can provide more information and answer questions about the project.

Start October 2025