Doctoral candidate (PhD) (65%; d/f/m)

23.04.2024, Wissenschaftliches Personal

We are offering one PhD position to a highly motivated student focusing on the interconnections between biophonic and anthrophonic sounds and environmental features with an emphasis on vegetation complexity, urban infrastructure, and bird diversity. The thesis is part of a greater project studying urban green space and soundscapes and how these relate to human health and wellbeing. Utilizing terrestrial mobile laser scanning (TLS) and automated recording units (ARUs), as well as advanced modeling techniques, this thesis will quantify songbird diversity indices and their relationship with greenspace structure and surrounding urban landscape. The results of this work will contribute to tools and guidelines for creating multifunctional and biodiverse urban green spaces in Munich. As soon as possible; ideally June 2024 (part-time 65%, fixed-term for 3 years)

Project background:
Urban green spaces are critical for both biodiversity and human health. Sound and the urban
soundscape can be indicators of biodiversity and environmental conditions and can have a
profound impact on human health. Still, the relationship between urban features (green and
grey structures) and biodiversity as well as soundscapes is understudied, as is how
soundscapes impact the restorative power of urban nature. The aim of the CitySoundscapes
project is to identify how the characteristics of urban soundscapes relate to the structural
complexity of urban green spaces, sound-based biodiversity in urban green spaces and human
health. We combine urban ecology, environmental psychology, acoustics research and urban
planning to collectively provide information for the planning and management of urban green
spaces in the city of Munich and beyond. Through citizen engagement and stakeholder
collaboration, we aim to promote biodiversity-based health interventions.
The research is funded by the Research Initiative for the Conservation of Biodiversity (FEdA),
the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), who funds scientific projects to
analyze biodiversity in Germany and to develop and implement innovative, effective measures
to protect and improve biodiversity.

Kontakt: peter.annighoefer@tum.de

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