Post-doc position

Department of Forest Ecology and Management
Society is actively debating the role of rotational forestry in delivering a multitude of ecosystem services, including biomass production, biodiversity, and climate benefits. These debates are based on incomplete information about how these ecosystem services are delivered across the full rotational time scale of managed forests relative to comparable timescale of young and old  forests originating from natural wildfire disturbance. We seek a new post doc to work within an interdisciplinary project comparing ecosystem services in managed versus natural forests. The project will focus upon two parallel chronosequences (forest age gradients), a wildfire and managed forest gradient around Arvidsjaur in northern Sweden. The post doc position will focus on several rarely studied climate impacts of forests, including quantifying their methane and nitrous oxide exchange, and albedo. The position will also focus on writing a literature review and/or meta-analysis on the current state of knowledge of forestry impacts on soil C, methane, N2O and albedo in boreal forests. The position will complement work carried out by other project participants working on forest carbon stocks and fluxes, and biodiversity. The department includes about 100 people of which 11 are professors. Our mission is to advance the understanding of forest ecosystem processes and to progress the principles of forest ecosystem management. For more information: http://www.slu.se/en/departments/forest-ecology-management/

The main supervisor for the post-doctoral researcher will be Michael Gundale (SLU, Umeå), with Co-supervisors including Marie-Charlotte Nilsson and Maja Sundqvist at SLU, and Dan Metcalfe at Umeå University.  

Duties:
We seek a post-doctoral researcher to perform repeated measurements of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Fluxes, and quantify forest albedo, as well as write a review/meta-analysis paper. The project also provides additional room for sub-project development.

Qualifications:
We seek a motivated and enthusiastic individual with good communication skills, both oral and written. The candidate must have a completed PhD degree. We desire a candidate with good social skills, and who is capable of working well in team environments. The ideal candidate would already have some experience measuring soil gas fluxes, and data processing an analysis of these types of data. If no direct experience, then we seek a candidate with ability and interest to learn these techniques. We also desire a candidate who is capable of writing a review paper focused on greenhouse gas fluxes in managed boreal forests. Knowledge in the topics of forestry, ecosystem ecology, and/or biogeochemistry are highly desirable. As postdoctoral appointments are career-developing positions for junior researchers, we are primarily looking for candidates with a doctoral degree that is a maximum of three years old at the most.  

Place of work:
Umeå

Form of employment:
Temporary employment 24 months, with possibility for extension.  

Extent:
100%

Starting date:
Winter or Spring, 2022. 

Application:
We welcome your application no later than January 31 2022, use the button below. 

Specific documents attached: The application should contain the following written in English: 1) a cover letter describing yourself and your match to the above mentioned project; 2) a CV describing your education, publications and relevant work experience, and 3) names and contact information for at least three references; 4) PhD diploma.

Academic union representatives:
https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/



The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is a world-class international university with research, education and environmental assessment within the sciences for sustainable life. Its principal sites are in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, but activities are also conducted at research stations, experimental parks and educational establishments throughout Sweden. We bring together people who have different perspectives, but they all have one and the same goal: to create the best conditions for a sustainable, thriving and better world.

SLU has just over 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and a turnover of SEK 3 billion. The university has invested heavily in a modern, attractive environment on its campuses.

www.slu.se