PhD
in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Grazed Pastures
University
of Waikato, New Zealand


We
have an opening for a PhD candidate to make measurements of nitrous oxide and
carbon dioxide fluxes from grazed pastures using eddy covariance and chamber
techniques. Our team is currently measuring fluxes of carbon dioxide at four
eddy covariance tower sites over grazed pastures. We have recently installed a
quantum cascade laser system to measure nitrous oxide fluxes. The successful
candidate will initially test whether chamber measurements of nitrous oxide
match those of the eddy covariance tower. Our ultimate aim is to identify farm
management strategies that decrease nitrous oxide emissions while increasing
soil carbon and maintaining pasture production.


Ideally,
you will have experience or strong understanding of measurement of greenhouse
gases, such as nitrous oxide, and the ability and motivation to learn eddy
covariance techniques. A background in Matlab or similar scripting computer
language is desired. 


This
PhD is co-funded for three years by the University of Waikato and the NZ
Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC). Expressions of Interest
must be submitted via the online form by 1 December 2016 at www.waikato.ac.nz/scholarships/application-forms/University-of-Waikato-NZAGRC-Doctoral-Scholarship.
If no applicant is appointed the scholarship will remain open until a suitable
applicant is found.


You
will be part of a motivated team of researchers and students at the University
of Waikato with considerable experience in flux measurements. The PhD candidate
will be supervised by Drs Louis Schipper, Dave Campbell and Liyin Liang. Our
research team can be viewed: www.waiber.com.