Forest Ecologist

The University of Minnesota, Institute on the Environment is seeking a post-doctoral scholar to participate in a new interdisciplinary project, Reinventing the Boreal Forest: Bolstering Resilience (Economic, Societal, and Ecological) in an Era of Transformational Change. The goal of the project involves partnering with local, state, national, and international academic, government, industry and environmental organizations to better understand and manage boreal forests in Minnesota and elsewhere, within the context of complex interactions with humans in the face of climate, economic and social change.

Northern forests are at risk from a diverse set of threats. Our target region, including northern Minnesota and adjacent states and provinces, is a focal point of potential climate change impacts because it is the transition - or ecotone - between boreal and temperate forests. Northern Minnesota, like many other rural, forested regions across the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, also faces many other serious challenges and opportunities. Changing land use and invasive species threaten the health, diversity and resilience of our forest ecosystems.

Minnesota forest industries face global competition; emerging bioenergy industries promise additional jobs and cleaner energy while demanding more of our forests. Increasing exurban development coupled with likely increased wildfire risk presents a growing challenge, especially given that wildland/wilderness area protection generates heated debate. Many of these challenges will be intensified by climate change and exacerbated by our complex landscape, society and history.

The grand challenge at the core of our project therefore is building resilience of coupled natural-human systems in the face of dynamic change.

Position Overview:

The post-doctoral scholar will be a member of an interdisciplinary team with experience and expertise in a range of ecological, economic, social, and other aspects of boreal forest science and management. The team will develop quantitative, technical data-driven projections of future conditions, as well as parallel qualitative scenarios that emerge from a "future scenarios" multi-stakeholder workshop process.

As part of these tasks, they will research and summarize previous future scenarios processes and efforts. Concurrent with developing scenarios for the future that are instructive about the implications of society's choices, the project team will work to strengthen partnerships among relevant stakeholders, to design and implement forward-looking, landscape-scale adaptive management strategies.

The outputs from the first part of the project will include academic publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as a variety of communication vehicles (e.g., some combination of bulletins, flyers, presentations, reports, films, future visualizations, or other) to disseminate scenario information to stake-holders, politicians, managers, and the public.

The outputs from the latter stages of the project will include potential revisions to existing forest landscape plans, new or strengthened regional interdisciplinary partnerships, landscape scale projects and/or experiments, and improved adaptive management initiatives by relevant agencies and/or groups.

Responsibilities:

The forest ecologist will have primary responsibility for the ecological analyses that are components of these efforts and will work with the team on integrating ecological and other perspectives (management, policy, economics) in a wide range of project activities. This will include data compilation, analyses, and interpretation for the technical analyses, and substantial involvement in the stake-holder scenarios development and adaptive landscape management implementation sub-projects.

As part of the scenarios development work, the scholar will assist with planning, organizing, and synthesizing the "future scenarios" workshops.

For the landscape management projects, responsibilities will include providing a scientific basis for management goals and evaluation of ecological impacts of management activities.

Qualifications:

Advanced degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) required. Candidates should have a strong academic and research background in forest ecology, as well as (ideally) some background in forestry and/or interdisciplinary work relevant to the project theme. Strong academic training in one or more of the following: forest ecology, modeling, landscape ecology, valid MN Driver's License and the ability to travel to workshop sites as required.

Desired qualifications: excellent written and oral communication skills, resourcefulness and strong ability to carry out independent research, and a broad interest in the use of science to enhance resiliency of coupled natural-human systems.

Compensation: $47,000 - $54,000 plus benefits, depending on previous experience.

Application Deadline: December 15, 2009 and will be filled as soon as a suitable, qualified, candidate is identified

To Apply:

All applications must be submitted through the University of Minnesota employment site and search for requisition number 163968. Candidates must Include a curriculum vitae, cover letter, and a statement of relevant career accomplishments. In addition, applicants should arrange to have at least 3 letters of reference sent here.

Please direct inquires to Peter Reich, Director, Reinventing the Boreal Forest, Forest Resources, College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Science.

The University of Minnesota is a talent magnet attracting leading faculty and staff from around the world to the state of Minnesota. As one of the state's largest employers, with more than 18,000 faculty and staff system-wide, the University offers an unparalleled career experience. The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status or sexual orientation.