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Opening: Post-doctoral Research Associate in Forest Landscape Ecology
In Brief: Post-doc will advance Harvard Forest LTER research in scenario and simulation modeling of land use and climate change impacts on New England forests.
Work Location: The post-doc will be funded through Harvard Forest LTER but will be based in Jonathan Thompson’s Landscape Ecology lab at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia. The post-doc and Thompson will make three to four trips annually to Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA and to other locations throughout New England.
In close collaboration with: David Foster, Kathy Lambert and Aaron Ellison of Harvard Forest; Scott Ollinger of U. of New Hampshire; Dave Kittredge of U. of Massachusetts, Rob Lilieholm at U. Maine and Bill Keeton at U. of Vermont.
Job Duties: A postdoctoral position is available to advance the objectives of the Harvard Forest LTER Future Scenarios project, including: analyzing recent trends in timber harvest and forest conversion across New England (starting with VT and NH); researching landscape-scale consequences of diverse forest uses including biomass energy harvest, conservation, and alternative development patterns; working with stakeholder groups and social scientists to articulate plausible alternative future trajectories of land use; simulating forest landscape dynamics and changes in ecosystem services under alternative scenarios of land use and climate change using the LANDIS-II forest landscape model or a similar modeling framework (such as CLM); collaborate with the PIs to publish results in high-impact scientific outlets; and collaborate with the Northeast Science and Policy Consortium to maximize the application and impact of the research.
Required Experience: Ph.D. (awarded by start date) in forest ecology, forestry, geography, or related field. Proficient in spatial analyses (landscape simulation, GIS, remote sensing, and spatial statistics); Evidence of strong scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications.
Preferred Experience: Demonstrated experience in forestry and coupled human-natural systems; proven ability to finish projects; strong desire to work with stakeholders and conduct policy relevant research
Appointment: Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found, with an ideal start date in Sept 2012. Interviews will preferably occur at ESA in Portland in early August. Initial appointment of one year and is renewable for additional years based on performance.
Salary: $45,000/yr Stipend + $5,000/yr to defray health insurance costs
The Working Environment: The SCBI Ecology Center is a rapidly growing department within the Smithsonian Institution. The rural 3200 acre SCBI research campus is 50 miles west of Washington D.C. It sits adjacent to Shenandoah National Park, is the NEON Domain Two core site, and hosts a 25 ha SIGEO forest dynamics plot.
To apply please send: (1) CV, (2) the names and contact information for three professional references, and (3) PDFs of one or more relevant publications to: thompsonjr@si.edu.
