Researcher

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Uppsala Researcher - metacommunity dynamics of boreal lake ecosystems SLU develops the understanding and sustainable use of biological natural resources.This is achieved through research, teaching, environmental monitoring and assessment and information extension.SLU has 3 000 employees, 4 200 undergraduate and postgraduate students.Main campuses are located at Alnarp, Skara, Uppsala and Umeå www.slu.se www.ma.slu.se The Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment (www.ma.slu.se) has a unique national responsibility for assessing the condition of Swedish surface waters with respect to both water chemistry and the aquatic biota.The mission of the department is to provide the knowledge about human impacts on aquatic ecosystems that society needs to achieve its environmental goals for surface waters.This mission involves the design and implementation of long-term surveillance programs across a range of spatial and temporal scales, studies of the chemical and ecological processes underlying environmental change, as well as the knowledge and tools needed to interpret environmental data and assess management alternatives. The importance of pursuing these issues in a landscape perspective has become increasingly apparent, both with regards to fundamental research issues and commissioned research.In particular, we are interested in using metacommunity concepts to better understand spatial patterns in assemblage composition among aquatic ecosystems as well as the underlying environmental factors driving these patterns.Specifically, we would like the successful candidate to address (i) how metacommunities are hierarchically structured in the landscape, (ii) how stable metacommunity structure is over time and (iii) how life history traits mediate metacommunity structure at these spatial and temporal scales.Building in part on data from the national monitoring programme of lakes and streams, the core of this proposal centres on the evaluation of associations between landscape data, local habitat variables and community structure through multivariate, correlative statistical approaches.Applicants should have a PhD in aquatic ecology or equivalent.Background in aquatic ecology, community ecology, impacts of global change on aquatic ecosystems and experience of multivariate statistics for analysis of complex data is desirable.The position is for one year, with the possibility of seeking a second year.SLU is an equal opportunity employer. Willem Goedkoop Professor, Head of Dep. We welcome your application marked with ref no 1101/09. The application should consist of a letter of intent, a proposed research program and a CV. Please submit your application to the Registrar of SLU, P.O.