Solar parks: refuges for pollinators and boosting pollination services

为什么这个项目是重要的：太阳能公园在世界各地呈指数级增长，预计这种增长将继续下去。与此同时，全球越来越担心授粉昆虫数量的减少限制了包括粮食在内的社会所依赖的关键物品的生产。太阳能公园占据的土地可用于增加授粉者数量和为周围农业用地提供授粉服务，以及低碳电力。因此，该项目将研究太阳能公园通过提供小气候生态位来缓解传粉媒介下降和促进授粉服务的潜力，这些生态位缓解气候变化，增加花卉资源，景观异质性和连通性。该项目的研究结果将被纳入授粉和太阳能公园的战略和政策，从而带来实际效益。重点：该博士学位将进一步从根本上了解传粉者下降的监管机构以及使用太阳能公园作为试验台的授粉服务的影响，最终提供相关证据，为政策和实践提供信息。对候选人有什么好处：成功的候选人将成为传粉者、授粉服务和能源与环境相互作用方面的专家。他们将开发一套广泛的相关技能，包括实验设计，现场技能（气候，植被和传粉者），统计，地理信息系统和不同受众的沟通，确保他们在一系列部门的高度就业。该项目与低碳合作，他们将与他们一起实习，以获得行业经验。鉴于该主题的相关性，他们还将参与制作行业和政策导向的产出，提供额外的经验。学生将完全融入兰开斯特和阅读（在那里他们将花费每年一个月）内的研究团队，访问这两个机构的培训，设施和网络，包括海外合作者。

Why this project is important: Solar parks are growing exponentially across the world and this growth is expected to continue. At the same time there is growing global concern that reduced pollinator populations are limiting the production of critical things, including food, on which society relies. The land solar parks occupy could be used to boost pollinator populations and pollination services to surrounding agricultural land, as well as low carbon electricity. Consequently, this project will examine the potential for solar parks to mitigate pollinator declines and boost pollination services through provision of microclimatic niches, that mitigate climate change, and increased floral resources, landscape heterogeneity and connectivity. The findings from the project will be inputted to both pollination and solar park strategies and policies, delivering a real-world benefit. The focus: This PhD will further fundamental understanding of regulators of pollinator decline and implications for pollination services using solar parks as a test-bed, ultimately delivering relevant evidence to inform policy and practice. What's in it for the candidate: The successful candidate will become an expert in pollinators, pollination services, and energy-environment interactions. They will develop a broad suite of relevant skills including experimental design, field skills (climate, vegetation and pollinator), statistics, GIS, and communication for different audiences, ensuring they are highly employable in a range of sectors. The project is in collaboration with Low Carbon, with whom they will undertake an internship to gain experience of the industry. Given the relevance of the topic they will also be involved in producing industry and policy orientated-outputs, providing additional experience. The student will be fully integrated in research teams within Lancaster and Reading (where they will spend one month per year), accessing training, facilities and networks in both institutions, including overseas collaborators.