We are looking for a PhD candidate to commence in 2026 to investigate the role that brown food webs have in sustaining terrestrial vertebrates in arid ecosystems. Most thinking about how arid ecosystems work has revolved around “green food” webs involving living plants, herbivores and their predators. However, deserts are by definition dry and most of the time there is little plant growth, so where does the energy that sustains desert ecosystems come from during dry times? We think the answer to this question is the brown food web, which involves the transfer of energy from dead plant material to invertebrate detritivores and their predators. This project will use a combination of remote sensing, field surveys and DNA meta-barcoding to investigate the foodwebs and energy channels sustaining birds, small mammals, bats and reptiles during wet and dry periods. We are looking for a student with a passion for field ecology and skills in quantitative methods with a First-Class Honours degree (or equivalent evidence of research ability). Applicants need to obtain a post-graduate research scholarship. Field research will be conducted at Witchelina Reserve in South Australia and Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station in New South Wales. nrmjobs.com.au/job/20026672