How does vegetation protect soil microorganisms from climate extremes, and what does this mean for ecosystem carbon cycling? Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts and heat waves, impacting ecosystem carbon storage worldwide. Join the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) in this interdisciplinary project to uncover how vegetation traits and structure shape below-ground microclimates, which in turn regulate soil microbial processes and influence ecosystem carbon cycling across.
PhD position on how vegetation influences soil microbial processes and carbon cycling across scales
- Faculty of Science
- 15465
- Master's
- €3,204 - €4,051
- 38 hours
- Closes on18-10-2026
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How does vegetation protect soil microorganisms from climate extremes, and what does this mean for ecosystem carbon cycling? Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts and heat waves, impacting ecosystem carbon storage worldwide. Join the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) in this interdisciplinary project to uncover how vegetation traits and structure shape below-ground microclimates, which in turn regulate soil microbial processes and influence ecosystem carbon cycling across.
PhD position on how vegetation influences soil microbial processes and carbon cycling across scales
- Faculty of Science
- 15465
- Master's
- €3,204 - €4,051
- 38 hours
- Closes on18-10-2026
Working at the UvA
About the position
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts, with profound consequences for ecosystem carbon cycling. While drought effects on aboveground vegetation have been studied extensively, our understanding of how vegetation structure and functional traits influence belowground microbial processes and carbon stocks remains limited. Soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, so even small changes belowground can have major implications for carbon storage and climate feedbacks.
Vegetation strongly modifies the microclimate experienced by soils. By reducing radiation and evaporative demand from the soil surface, plants moderate extremes in soil temperature and moisture while simultaneously altering carbon allocation belowground. These changes can influence microbial activity, community composition and carbon cycling, potentially buffering ecosystems against drought and heat waves. However, the magnitude of these effects, the mechanisms involved, and their consequences across ecosystem components remain poorly understood. The combined observation of soil processes with plant functional traits and structure of vegetation captured by remote sensing (e.g. LiDAR, multi- and hyper-spectral imagery) in experiments and at contrasting field-sites provide us insights on how soil microbial composition and diversity responds to a shift of vegetation types, climate, and land cover.
In this PhD project, you will investigate how vegetation traits and structure regulate below-ground microclimate and microbial carbon cycling across spatial scales. You will combine controlled experiments, field observations, remote sensing data, ecosystem flux measurements and process-based modelling to identify the mechanisms linking vegetation, soil microorganisms and ecosystem carbon cycling. The project spans laboratory, field and ecosystem scales and combines measurements ranging from microbial processes to ecosystem carbon fluxes.
You will be jointly supervised by Dr. Yifang Shi, Dr. Albert C. Brangarí, Dr. Emiel van Loon, and Prof. Franciska de Vries, whose complementary expertise in vegetation structure and functional traits, ecosystem carbon cycling, soil microbial ecology, remote sensing and process-based modelling provides a unique interdisciplinary training environment. The project will also include a postdoctoral researcher. As part of this team, you will collaborate with national and international partners, including the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), and become part of a vibrant research environment.
Working at the UvA
About the position
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts, with profound consequences for ecosystem carbon cycling. While drought effects on aboveground vegetation have been studied extensively, our understanding of how vegetation structure and functional traits influence belowground microbial processes and carbon stocks remains limited. Soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, so even small changes belowground can have major implications for carbon storage and climate feedbacks.
Vegetation strongly modifies the microclimate experienced by soils. By reducing radiation and evaporative demand from the soil surface, plants moderate extremes in soil temperature and moisture while simultaneously altering carbon allocation belowground. These changes can influence microbial activity, community composition and carbon cycling, potentially buffering ecosystems against drought and heat waves. However, the magnitude of these effects, the mechanisms involved, and their consequences across ecosystem components remain poorly understood. The combined observation of soil processes with plant functional traits and structure of vegetation captured by remote sensing (e.g. LiDAR, multi- and hyper-spectral imagery) in experiments and at contrasting field-sites provide us insights on how soil microbial composition and diversity responds to a shift of vegetation types, climate, and land cover.
In this PhD project, you will investigate how vegetation traits and structure regulate below-ground microclimate and microbial carbon cycling across spatial scales. You will combine controlled experiments, field observations, remote sensing data, ecosystem flux measurements and process-based modelling to identify the mechanisms linking vegetation, soil microorganisms and ecosystem carbon cycling. The project spans laboratory, field and ecosystem scales and combines measurements ranging from microbial processes to ecosystem carbon fluxes.
You will be jointly supervised by Dr. Yifang Shi, Dr. Albert C. Brangarí, Dr. Emiel van Loon, and Prof. Franciska de Vries, whose complementary expertise in vegetation structure and functional traits, ecosystem carbon cycling, soil microbial ecology, remote sensing and process-based modelling provides a unique interdisciplinary training environment. The project will also include a postdoctoral researcher. As part of this team, you will collaborate with national and international partners, including the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), and become part of a vibrant research environment.
All about this vacancy
What are you going to do?
As a PhD candidate, you will develop an interdisciplinary research programme together with a postdoc researcher, combining experiments, field observations and modelling to understand how vegetation regulates soil microbial responses to drought and heat, and the implications for carbon.
Tasks and responsibilities:
- performing laboratory experiments and field campaigns at the ICOS ecosystem station Loobos and other sites;
- quantifying soil microclimate, microbial activity, community composition and carbon cycling;
- assessing vegetation structure and functional traits using remote sensing techniques (e.g. multi- and hyper-spectral imagery, LiDAR);
- analyzing chamber and eddy covariance measurements;
- applying process-based models to integrate observations across biological and spatial scales;
- publishing your findings in international peer-reviewed journals;
- presenting your research at national and international conferences;
- contributing to teaching and supervising Bachelor's and Master’s students.
Your profile
We are looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious candidate with a strong interest in vegetation structure and functioning, soil microbial ecology and ecosystem carbon cycling, and an interest in the challenge of combining experiments, remote sensing and modelling to answer fundamental ecological questions.
Your experience and profile:
- an MSc degree in the Natural Sciences (e.g. Earth Science, Biology, Ecology, Physics) or Engineering;
- experience with modelling, quantitative data analysis and programming;
- strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
- excellent written and spoken English;
- the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team.
Additional qualifications that would be an advantage include experience with:
- remote sensing data analysis (e.g. multi- and hyper-spectral imagery, LiDAR);
- process-based carbon modelling;
- plant functional traits;
- eddy-covariance and other carbon flux measurements;
- soil microbial ecology and biogeochemistry.
We encourage you to apply even if you don’t yet meet all the qualifications. If you meet the essential requirements and are excited about the project, we would be happy to receive your application.
Our offer
A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is as soon as possible. We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students. For this position the University Job Classification profile “Promovendus” (PhD candidate) applies. Your salary will be €3.204 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €4.051 in the final year, based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week. In addition, you will receive a 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end allowance.
A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants.
The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.
Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:
- 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
- multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
- a complete educational program for PhD students;
- multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
- multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
- 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
- partly paid parental leave;
- the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
- a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
- the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
- help with registration at UvA-Housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.
Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.
All about this vacancy
What are you going to do?
As a PhD candidate, you will develop an interdisciplinary research programme together with a postdoc researcher, combining experiments, field observations and modelling to understand how vegetation regulates soil microbial responses to drought and heat, and the implications for carbon.
Tasks and responsibilities:
- performing laboratory experiments and field campaigns at the ICOS ecosystem station Loobos and other sites;
- quantifying soil microclimate, microbial activity, community composition and carbon cycling;
- assessing vegetation structure and functional traits using remote sensing techniques (e.g. multi- and hyper-spectral imagery, LiDAR);
- analyzing chamber and eddy covariance measurements;
- applying process-based models to integrate observations across biological and spatial scales;
- publishing your findings in international peer-reviewed journals;
- presenting your research at national and international conferences;
- contributing to teaching and supervising Bachelor's and Master’s students.
Your profile
We are looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious candidate with a strong interest in vegetation structure and functioning, soil microbial ecology and ecosystem carbon cycling, and an interest in the challenge of combining experiments, remote sensing and modelling to answer fundamental ecological questions.
Your experience and profile:
- an MSc degree in the Natural Sciences (e.g. Earth Science, Biology, Ecology, Physics) or Engineering;
- experience with modelling, quantitative data analysis and programming;
- strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
- excellent written and spoken English;
- the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team.
Additional qualifications that would be an advantage include experience with:
- remote sensing data analysis (e.g. multi- and hyper-spectral imagery, LiDAR);
- process-based carbon modelling;
- plant functional traits;
- eddy-covariance and other carbon flux measurements;
- soil microbial ecology and biogeochemistry.
We encourage you to apply even if you don’t yet meet all the qualifications. If you meet the essential requirements and are excited about the project, we would be happy to receive your application.
Our offer
A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is as soon as possible. We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students. For this position the University Job Classification profile “Promovendus” (PhD candidate) applies. Your salary will be €3.204 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €4.051 in the final year, based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week. In addition, you will receive a 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end allowance.
A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants.
The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.
Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:
- 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
- multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
- a complete educational program for PhD students;
- multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
- multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
- 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
- partly paid parental leave;
- the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
- a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
- the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
- help with registration at UvA-Housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.
Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.
Your place at the UvA
About us
The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) is one of eight research institutes of the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam. The research at IBED aims to unravel how ecosystems function in all their complexity, and how they change due to natural processes and human activities. At its core lies an integrated systems approach to study biodiversity, ecosystems and the environment. IBED adopts this systems approach to ecosystems, addressing abiotic (soil and water quality) and biotic factors (ecology and evolution of plants, animals, and microorganisms), and the interplay between those. The IBED vision includes research encompassing experimental and theoretical approaches at a wide variety of temporal and spatial scales, i.e. from molecules and microorganisms to patterns and processes occurring at the global scale. The University of Amsterdam has excellent high performance computing facilities. Furthermore, IBED has a dedicated computational support team with specialized knowledge of bioinformatics, (geo)database management and scientific programming. IBED also works with non-academic partners to deliver transdisciplinary science for society.
The position will be based in the
Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology. The department aims to aim to understand complex interactions in ecological systems using theoretical and advanced computational approaches.
Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics. The department aims to improve our understanding of the functioning and dynamics of abiotic and biotic components of (geo-)ecosystems across landscapes through time.
Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.
About the Faculty of Science
Your place at the UvA
This is where you will be working
About us
The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) is one of eight research institutes of the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam. The research at IBED aims to unravel how ecosystems function in all their complexity, and how they change due to natural processes and human activities. At its core lies an integrated systems approach to study biodiversity, ecosystems and the environment. IBED adopts this systems approach to ecosystems, addressing abiotic (soil and water quality) and biotic factors (ecology and evolution of plants, animals, and microorganisms), and the interplay between those. The IBED vision includes research encompassing experimental and theoretical approaches at a wide variety of temporal and spatial scales, i.e. from molecules and microorganisms to patterns and processes occurring at the global scale. The University of Amsterdam has excellent high performance computing facilities. Furthermore, IBED has a dedicated computational support team with specialized knowledge of bioinformatics, (geo)database management and scientific programming. IBED also works with non-academic partners to deliver transdisciplinary science for society.
The position will be based in the
Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology. The department aims to aim to understand complex interactions in ecological systems using theoretical and advanced computational approaches.
Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics. The department aims to improve our understanding of the functioning and dynamics of abiotic and biotic components of (geo-)ecosystems across landscapes through time.
Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.
About the Faculty of Science
Important to know
Your application & contact
Job application & contact
If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the ‘Apply’-button on the vacancy’s webpage. We accept applications until and including 18 October 2026.
Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):
- a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
- a letter of motivation, outlining how the project aligns with your background and interests (max 2 pages; no AI please);
- degree certificates or equivalent (max 4 pages);
- the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation.
Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.
A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure (for details: national knowledge security guidelines).
The interviews will be held in the course of November. We will invite potential candidates for interviews soon after the closing date.
Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please contact:
Dr. Yifang Shi, Assistant Professor in Land Cover and Land Use Dynamics, [email protected]
Dr. Albert C. Brangarí, Assistant Professor in Carbon Cycle Dynamics, [email protected]
The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Important to know
Your application & contact
Job application & contact
If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the ‘Apply’-button on the vacancy’s webpage. We accept applications until and including 18 October 2026.
Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):
- a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
- a letter of motivation, outlining how the project aligns with your background and interests (max 2 pages; no AI please);
- degree certificates or equivalent (max 4 pages);
- the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation.
Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.
A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure (for details: national knowledge security guidelines).
The interviews will be held in the course of November. We will invite potential candidates for interviews soon after the closing date.
Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please contact:
Dr. Yifang Shi, Assistant Professor in Land Cover and Land Use Dynamics, [email protected]
Dr. Albert C. Brangarí, Assistant Professor in Carbon Cycle Dynamics, [email protected]
The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.
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Don't miss out on your dream job!
Don't miss out on your dream job!
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