Two postdoctoral positions in Sweden

2 Postdoctoral positions, Department of Forest Ecology and Management,
Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umeå, Sweden:

(1) Post-doctoral position in Forest Regeneration
(2) Post-doctoral position in Aboveground-Belowground Feedbacks

The position is both fully financed for two years will be based in the Department of Forest Ecologyand Management. The post-doctoral researchers will be working in an active research environmentwith up to date laboratory facilities, glasshouse and access to field sites. Much of the work will befield-based. All the field work for the forest regeneration position will be based in the boreal forest ofnorthern Sweden. Half the field work for the aboveground-belowground feedback position will also bebased in northern Sweden while half will be based in temperate forests in New Zealand.

(1) Forest Regeneration Position: There is much recent interest in theinteractions between various disturbance types and forest regeneration in the Swedish boreal forest,especially given the importance of management and fire regime as ecological drivers in borealforests. This position will investigate how disturbance intensity may affect resource partitioning,resource use and spatial variability of naturally regenerating tree seedlings in the Swedish borealforest. As such it will contribute to our understanding of manipulation of natural and anthropogenicdisturbances as a tool for forest management. The scope of this position is deliberately broad, and willbe adapted to suit the specific research interests of the researcher that is appointed.

(2) Aboveground- Belowground Feedback position
This position will involve two components.

i)- Fire intensity effects in the Swedish boreal forest. Wildfire is the main naturaldisturbance regime in boreal forests in Sweden. This work will involve characterizing the role of fireintensity (in terms of both canopy disturbance and humus burning) on aboveground and belowgroundprocesses that are relevant to ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical processes;

ii) Invasivemammals in the New Zealand rainforest. New Zealand represents an excellent ‘outdoor laboratory’ forstudying ecosystem consequences of recent invasion by alien species. This work will involve howinvasive mammals in New Zealand rainforest drive aboveground-belowground feedbacks. The scopeof both components is deliberately broad, and will be adapted to suit the specific research interests ofthe researcher that is appointed. It is expected that the researcher will travel to New Zealand eachyear for fieldwork while remaining based in Umeå.

Qualifications for these positions are a PhD in Biology, Ecology or Forestry.

Applications for either or both positions should include a written application, including curriculum vitae, a brief description of research interests, and a list of at least two references familiar with the applicant’s qualifications.

Read more about SLU: http://www.slu.se/

Further information about the Forest Regeneration position:
Professor Marie-Charlotte Nilsson
Hegethorn SLU Umeå, Department of Forest Ecology and Management,
e-mail: Marie-Charlotte.Nilsson@svek.slu.se
tel. +46 90 786 84 40

Further information about the Aboveground-Belowground feedback position:
Professor David Wardle
SLU Umeå,
Department of Forest Ecology and Management,
e-mail: David.Wardle@svek.slu.se
tel.+46 90 786 8471

Applications must have arrived at the Registrar of SLU, P.O. Box 7070,S- 750 07 Uppsala or registrator@slu.se no later than March 10 2009.