We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on a team project on modeling forest growth and dynamics at the temperate-boreal forest transition. The successful candidates will work in collaboration with a large team of forest ecologists and modelers.
POSTDOC POSITION. The general objective of this project is to develop a suite of forest dynamic models that will be used by natural resources managers to better understand (i) the different uncertainties associated with climate change and (ii) how current land-use practices can affect the diversity and functioning of the transitional forest between the temperate and boreal biomes. The current tools that are used to predict its impact on forest ecosystems are limited because they lack important ecological knowledge. These models are inappropriate for forest ecosystems because they do not consider how the complex interplay between dispersal, interspecific interactions and forest management will affect migration dynamics and productivity. The postdoctoral researcher will develop a modeling suite spanning different spatial and temporal scales, from local scales and short time horizons (10-25 years) to the large (regional) spatial scales and long time horizons (100-200 years). We will focus on forest Eastern Canada at the transition between temperate and boreal biomes since we expect the greatest impacts of climate change to occur in such forests.
A PhD degree in biology, forestry or environmental science is required. Candidates must also have strong skills in modeling, forest ecology, statistics and analyses of large databases. Training in mathematics is considered a valuable asset. A fellowship of $ 40,000 per year for 2 years is offered.
INTSTRUCTIONS. Applications, including a letter describing research interests, a CV, copies of transcripts and the contact information for two references, or any questions about the project should be directed
