Post-doctoral position - climate change

We are looking for 1-2 Postdoctoral Research Associates in the area of forest landscape modeling and global change ecology. The candidate will work on a multi-faceted project predicting forest landscape response to climate change and potential management alternatives in central and eastern U.S. These positions will be part of a team consisting of scientists from US Forest Service Northern Research Station and Region 9, University of Missouri, and USGS. The goal of the project is to (1) determine the range and rate of change of prominent tree species in respond to climate change using a landscape modeling approach, (2) quantify the effects of forest landscape processes (e.g., dispersal, fire, harvest, and prescribed fire) in climate change effect predictions, (3) compare landscape modeling approaches and results with those of bioclimatic envelop, ecosystem process, and DGVM models, and (4) provide guidance to land managers on how to meet long term management objectives in the study region.

Our study area encompasses a wide geographic region spanning continuously from Missouri and Arkansas in the west to West Virginia in the east. We will use forest landscape modeling approaches in this study coupled with individual tree-based ecosystem process modeling (LINKAGES II). We will use a newly designed forest landscape model, LANDIS PRO (7.0), which records vegetation information compatible to forest inventory data (FIA) and is capable of simulate very large landscapes (e.g., 20 million hectare) at 90 meter resolution in one run. New quantitative stand attributes (e.g., density and tree count by species age cohort) are added at each pixel and a new ecological design of growing space based succession module is implemented. LANDIS PRO also improves forest harvest simulation by using a new volume- and density-based harvest method.

Qualified applicants will have PhD in forestry, ecology, geography, or a closely related discipline, knowledge and skills in at least some of the following areas: GIS, statistics (i.e., R, SAS), computer programming skills (i.e. Python); forest landscape and ecosystem process models; landscape, forest, and wildlife ecology in central and/or eastern U.S. The candidates are required to work with a team of scientists from multiple institutions and spatial data (FIA, SURRGO, and climate) of multi-states. Strong communication and data processing skills are essential. Strong analysis and writing capability is required.

Positions are available January 2012 and will be at the University of Missouri. Funding is available for three years. Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the positions are filled. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Please submit applications by email including a cover letter describing your interest and experience in these areas, a resume, and names and contact information of three references. All applications should be sent to both PIs of the project:

Frank R. Thompson
US Forest Service Northern Research Station
202 Natural Resources Building
Columbia, MO 65211
E-mail: frthompson@fs.fed.us

and

Hong S. He
Department of Forestry
University of Missouri
203 Natural Resources Building
Columbia, MO 65211
E-mail:Heh@missouri.edu