How does human activity shape the diversity of microbial communities in forest soils?
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Project description
OPEN PHD POSITION: Anthropogenic changes to forest use and effects on wildlife health
Supervisors: Esa Koskela esa.m.koskela@jyu.fi and Eva Kallio eva.r.kallio@jyu.fi
Project overview
Are you interested in how human activities influence the well-being of boreal forest ecosystems? Boreal forests are among the most extensive ecosystems on Earth, yet they are strongly shaped by land-use practices, such as forest management and urbanization. These changes can cause cascading effects on biodiversity, species interactions, and ultimately the well-being of entire communities, from microbes to mammals. Despite their ecological importance, we still lack robust empirical data on wildlife and pathogen communities, the abundance of disease vectors and environmental conditions that vary across different forest types. Such information is crucial to understanding infectious disease prevalence and unravelling the interplay between ecosystem health, human health and nonhuman health.
This Doctoral Researcher position will build on our replicated urban vs. rural forest study design as well as a recently established experiment in which different forest management options (conventional forest management, continuous cover forestry and unmanaged control) have been used to create dissimilar forest ecosystems.
The work will involve intensive fieldwork across these ecosystems and the application of various laboratory methods to assess health parameters in individual organisms. The student will focus on the health of a keystone forest species, the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), which is the most common rodent species inhabiting all forest types. Pathogen screening will include infections caused by agents such as Puumala hantavirus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, using immunofluorescence and qPCR-based assays. In addition, host populations and communities (e.g. ticks, rodents, cervids and birds) will be monitored using camera traps, audio recorders, and live trapping.
This study will facilitate extensive research into the association between forest management, multispecies communities and wildlife pathogens, with the aim of improving our understanding of the health consequences of anthropogenic disturbance in boreal forests.
Applicant qualifications
- We are looking for a motivated candidate with a Master’s degree in a relevant subject, such as biology, disease ecology, or e.g. wildlife ecology.
- We value previous experience in fieldwork or working/operating with small mammals. Experience in laboratory work, such as DNA extraction and PCR, is also appreciated.
- A strong interest in the research project, high motivation to complete a PhD and willingness to step out of one’s comfort zone if necessary are important characteristics for successfully completing a PhD project.
We offer
- Funding for a maximum of 3.5 years on the Doctoral Programme in Biological and Environmental Sciences.
- Supervision in all aspects in your work, as well as an international and enthusiastic working environment with a large network of collaborators.
- Weekly seminar series, PhD training courses and research group meetings to provide continuous support and benefit your professional development.
- Well-equipped laboratories and state-of-the-art scientific equipment and software.
- Resources for travel to conferences or workshops abroad.
The Doctoral Researcher will be supervised by Dr Esa Koskela and Dr Eva Kallio, and will carry out the project in collaboration with Prof Jussi Heinonsalo and wildlife ecologists from the University of Helsinki.
Finland has a high standard of living, with free schooling (also in English), affordable childcare, good family benefits and healthcare. Jyväskylä is located in central Finland in the Finnish lakeland and has excellent opportunities for different nature, outdoor, and sports activities. At the University of Jyväskylä, you get to participate in our friendly, international and multidisciplinary community where the welfare of each individual is important.
The starting salary for a Doctoral Researcher is will be approximately 2500 €/month (gross income). A trial period of six months will be used at the beginning of the employment.
How to apply
Applications should be submitted via the University of Jyväskylä online application form by December 14, 2025. Applications sent via email are not considered. Link to application details (project no. 3):
Relevant literature:
https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/63623/1/9781000928884.pdf#page=80
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.21.671197v2
DESCRIPTION OF THE LARGER PROJECT:
According to the biodiversity hypothesis, forests provide us with a wide range of microbial contacts and improve immune defense and prevent disease. Currently, human impacts such as silviculture practices and urbanization are reshaping forest habitats at a rate that organisms cannot or do not have time to adapt. These changes can also be reflected in the structure and diversity of forest microbial communities and, further, in the health of humans and other species living in the forest. Increasing the disease burden in non-human animals is also harmful to humans, as it can increase the risk of zoonotic diseases.
The project will provide new data on how human activities shape the diversity of forest soil microbial communities, the well-being of other species living in forests and the resulting disease threat to humans.
The strength of the project lies in the close cooperation between researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Helsinki, as well as environmental and art educators from the Evolution in action -project https://www.evolutioninaction.fi which enables the latest research findings to be quickly transferred into openly available teaching materials and made available to educators. The project increases understanding of how human activities shape forest interactions and provides tools to make human activities more sustainable.
