This post presents a fantastic opportunity to work for the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, undertaking vegetation surveys that are of direct relevance to improving land management for the UK’s fastest declining bird species: the turtle dove.  You will be working outdoors to record and manage the vegetation on a number of sites in East Anglia, including the RSPB’s flagship Minsmere reserve.

What's the job about

Turtle dove populations are in rapid decline (-98% in the UK since 1970), with strong links to the reduction in availability of arable plants on which they feed. Previous evaluation of existing agri-environment options providing seed for turtle doves indicates the vegetation frequently becomes too tall and dense for ground-foraging turtle doves, limiting access to the seeds on which they feed. In small plots on 8 study sites with varying soil types and management, this study will trial multiple new and existing options for managing seed-rich habitat for turtle doves.
This is a resurvey of the vegetation in experimental plots first established in 2018/19. Comparison of the vegetation in various treatments will help the understanding of how best to manage land to enhance the abundance of, and access to, seeds. The outputs of this work will contribute to the future design of practical conservation measures to help reverse the decline of the turtle dove; one of the UK’s most threatened bird species.

A vehicle (for work purposes) and fieldwork equipment will be provided. A substantial part of the role involves outdoor, lone-working.

Key activities will include:

• Vegetation quadrat surveys, recording the cover of bare ground and vegetation in the plots, the plant species present and their reproductive stage (3 rounds in May, June and July/Aug).
• using a hand-pushed rotavator, experimental manipulation of the vegetation structure in the treatments (June).
• input, error checking and manipulation of data in Excel spreadsheets (post July).
• Editing of and contributing to the update of a project report (post August).

Note that this work does not involve bird surveys of turtle doves.

What we need from you

We are looking for candidates with a track record in collecting and manipulating field data on vegetation composition and structure who meet the following criteria:

Essential:

• Ability to undertake demanding fieldwork (long hours/poor weather).
• Ability to lone-work under their own initiative with limited face-to-face contact and supervision.
• Ability to regularly travel to, from, and within rural locations in East Anglia not served by public transport, and willing to travel widely - perhaps including occasional overnight stays.
• Practical experience of measuring vegetation structure and identifying plants in quadrats in a professional or voluntary capacity or as part of higher-education project.
• Ability to keep accurate and legible records of data collected in the field.
• Ability to input, error check and manipulate the data in excel.
• Ability to write basic scientific reports.
• Practical experience of vegetation surveys and identification of UK plant species?

Desirable:

• Specialist experience working on farmland plants/vegetation communities.
• A good understanding of agro-ecology issues.
• Experience of liaising with landowners and their agents/employees.
• Experience of multivariate statistical analysis.
• Home base in East Anglia within traveling distance of study sites in Suffolk, S Norfolk, N Essex and E Cambs.