PRR Project

Summary

The research position is aimed at the development of ecological restoration tools and procedures, notably nature-based and/or traditional solutions, to improve the ecological quality, biodiversity and functioning of landscapes. The research to be developed will focus in crop and forested land, and the mosaics of interconnected natural, semi-natural and urban ecosystems shaped by the ongoing human activities. This research will study the interplay between human activities in different land uses and the ecosystem–level effects, and it will use both historical and/or present scenarios to predict alternative futures guaranteeing the maintenance of ecological processes and the biodiversity and ecosystem regulatory services, in agriculture and forest landscapes, with an emphasis on water resources, river network and soil ecosystems and its indicators. The research on ecological restoration should encompass multiple improvement scales, from the agrofield habitat level and forestry practices, to the recovery of shape, length and complexity of natural infrastructures and ecological corridors. Upscale modelling will enable predictions and prioritizations, at regional and European dimensions, and the planning of conservation initiatives and funding policies, under the framework provided by the Common Agriculture Policy CAP, the Water Framework Directive WFD, the Protection of Nature in the European Green Deal GD, and the new Nature Restoration Law NRL. These frameworks promote integrated and systemic thinking, with the NRL advocating for mandatory restoration of habitats and support for species with unfavorable status. Collectively, they express the need for extensive ecological restoration and its planning, aligning with broader EU environmental and sustainability policies, and the objectives of UN SDGs and the present Restoration Decade of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).Furthermore, the position is of principal researcher, and she/he will also lead the management office of the Associate Laboratory TERRA, being responsible for the implementation of most TERRA actions, outreaching results to public administration  and policies, and supporting interactions within and between the thematic lines of the AL.  The researcher will be also responsible for funding attraction, through applications for competitive funding, to boost the scientific capabilities of ISA and TERRA. The researcher will promote TERRA research and image, this will include regular scientific and technical events, supporting TERRA positioning on public policies.The new employee will engage in teaching activities, contributing to ISA’s graduation and post-graduation teaching and in training activities, including supervision at all academic levels, in sustainable land use and ecosystem services and to support the development of TERRA’s research network and impact.The prospective collaborator should possess significant knowledge on terrestrial and freshwater ecology and on agriculture and forest land uses; a strong background and research experience on ecology, ecosystem functioning, conservation and management at different scales, and must have had previous experience in senior positions as leader both of a research group and projects, and responsible for large researcher unites such as an Associated Laboratory. The researcher should have a track record of high publication quality as well as teaching, post-graduation supervision experience and demonstrated capability of project leadership and strong international collaboration level. Due to the multidisciplinary approach of the tasks proposed, the researcher will demonstrate the ability to collaborate with experts from diverse fields, including ecology, conservation and data science, to achieve integrated solutions; and should also have strong science management and science communication background.ISA is the oldest School of Agriculture in Portigal, with 113 years. It has been at the forefront of all the agricultural and forest development, and its political implementation, in the first part of last century. Later on, it has been decisive in the green revolution of post-WWII, and contributing to the present unprecedented technological changes and expansion of the land used for the provision of food, fiber and many other natural products to Humankind. It has extensively documented cause-effect relations between such developments and the effects on species, habitats and ecosystems. It is time to move deliberately forward and decisively contribute to the transformative change of practices that are urgently needed to maintain the sustainability in the uses of natural resources. This will bolster ISA’s leading role in sustainable land use and ecosystem services.