"PhD Studentship: The impact of peatland rewetting on invertebrate and microbial assemblages"

This research project focuses on evaluating the ecological benefits of peatland restoration in the UK, with a particular emphasis on upland areas in the Peak District National Park. Healthy peatlands play a vital role in carbon sequestration, climate regulation, water management, and biodiversity support. However, approximately 80% of UK peatlands are degraded, compromising these essential ecosystem functions. Significant restoration efforts, such as gully blocking, bunding and rewetting, have been implemented over the past 15 years, creating thousands of small ponds and bogs to raise water tables and reduce erosion. Despite significant investment, there is limited evidence on the long-term biological impacts of these interventions. This project will take 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 findings will inform future policy, guide land management practices, and support stakeholders, including conservation organisations, private landowners, and the water industry, in making data-driven decisions for sustainable peatland recovery.

Project aims and objectives

Aim: Quantify biodiversity and ecosystem change due to peatland restoration.

Objectives:

• Literature review on the current evidence surrounding peatland restoration success in the UK.
• Identify a selection of peatland sites that allow robust replication and cover a broad range of restoration timelines and interventions.
• Collect field data to provide novel evidence for patterns of biodiversity gains/losses, using key bioindicator groups and associated environmental factors.
• Carry out detailed lab-based taxonomy of collected invertebrate material and analyse water and soil parameters.
• Statistically evaluate causal effects of the ecological and functional outcomes of rewetting schemes, evidencing the spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity and environmental parameters.

Funding

Both Home and International students can apply. Only home tuition fees will be covered for the duration of the three-year award, which is £5,006 for the year 2025/26. Eligible international students will need to make up the difference in tuition fee funding (Band 3 for the year 2025/26).

The student will receive a standard stipend payment for the duration of the award. These payments are set at a level determined by the UKRI, currently £20,780 for the academic year 2025/26.

Specific requirements of the candidate

Essential:

• Strong academic background in biology, ecology or environmental science.
• Experience conducting upland peatland fieldwork (water quality, water table, soils, biodiversity).
• Experience engaging with landowners, conservation bodies and stakeholders to facilitate fieldwork.
• Sound knowledge of upland/moorland ecosystem services, conservation issues and landscape‑scale interventions.

How to apply

Interested applicants should contact Dr. Scott Pedley (s.pedley@mmu.ac.uk) for an informal discussion.

To apply you will need to complete the online application form for a full time PhD in Biological Science

Please complete the Doctoral Project Applicant Form, and include your CV and a covering letter to demonstrate how your skills and experience map to the aims and objectives of the project, the area of research and why you see this area as being of importance and interest.

Please upload these documents in the supporting documents section of the University’s Admissions Portal.

Applications closing date: 19 March 2026

Expected start date: October 2026

Please quote the reference: SciEng-SP-October 2026-27-Peatland Biodiversity Trajectories