Examining relationships between human well-being and avian biodiversity within natural and urban soundscapes - ESRC WGSSS studentship
About the Project
The School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University are delighted to offer a fully funded Wales Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) (ESRC DTP) studentship starting in October 2024.
Proposal description
Sounds of wildlife, such as birdsong, are an important component of natural soundscapes that contribute to human well-being. Through reductions in stress and annoyance, and facilitation of recovery following stressful tasks, exposure to natural sounds can have a positive effect on human well-being. By 2050, however, an estimated two-thirds of the global population will live in urban areas such as cities. As urbanisation increases, people in built-up areas are losing the ability to benefit from nature due to declines in both the intensity and frequency with which they experience nature. Auditory experiences are one of many human-nature interactions that can have positive benefits for people. These auditory experiences occur within soundscapes: the acoustic environments that people experience.
This PhD project aims to investigate the intricate connections between human well-being and avian biodiversity within natural and urban soundscapes, addressing gaps in understanding the effects of biodiversity declines on human well-being.
The successful candidate will engage in a multifaceted exploration of the interplay between human well-being and avian biodiversity. They will design and execute controlled laboratory and field experiments which manipulate visual and auditory treatments to unravel the effects of biodiversity in urban and rural soundscapes on human well-being. Furthermore, the candidate will quantify and analyse various facets of human well-being impacted by soundscapes using an array of metrics (e.g., changes in affect, stress levels, psychological and attentional restoration, physiological responses, and subjective evaluations of pleasantness and noise perception).
Depending on the candidate’s interests, they may also choose to explore 1) the effect of urban noise in conjunction with natural sounds, 2) the relationship between native birdsong and sense of place, or 3) temporal changes in avian diversity and its subsequent acoustic impacts on human well-being.
This PhD is a collaboration between Bangor University (Dr Freya St John, Dr Tyler Hallman and Dr Mark Mainwaring) and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and includes the opportunity to use BTO’s passive acoustic monitoring data.
This project offers a unique opportunity for the candidate to contribute to the growing body of knowledge at the intersection of ecology, psychology, and conservation science embedded within conservation practice.
Informal enquiries can be made by contacting Dr Freya St. John f.stjohn@bangor.ac.uk, Dr Tyler Hallman t.hallman@bangor.ac.uk or Dr Mark Mainwaring m.mainwaring@bangor.ac.uk
Duration of study:
The duration of study is dependent on prior research experience and training needs which will be assessed by completing an Initial Development Needs Analysis (DNA) at the application stage and a Full DNA prior to award, if successful. Duration of study may vary from 3.5 to 4.5 years full time (or part time equivalent).
Research in practice placement:
All WGSSS funded students are required to complete a funded Research in Practice placement of 3-months in total. All students will have the opportunity to complete a placement in academia, policy, business or civil society organisations.