Researcher in Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Subject description
About 75% of the global land surface is used for forestry, agriculture and pastures. Due to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, warming and management the global land surface is becoming greener. At the same time, increasing land under management, is decreasing carbon storage on land and contribute to global warming. This project aims to increase our understanding on what drives ecosystem change in Sweden and Europe. A new map on Swedish pristine forests will be used in conjunction with land use information and topographical maps to understand the “natural” and the management drivers of ecosystem changes. Expected outcomes include new information on the drivers of ecosystem changes in Sweden and a better understanding on how management such as forestry and agriculture is affecting main ecosystem functions and their changes over time. The results may be used as an indication for current and future changes in the much larger global boreal biome, and inform on the expected outcomes of large scale expansions of bioenergy plantations. The project is based on detailed remote sensing involving high resolution analysis of temporal trends and variations, but may also involve the utilization of vast plot based databases on ecosystem structure and change. It will contribute to an ongoing project on land use impacts on ecosystems and carbon storage.

Work duties

• Perform a trend analysis using remote sensing based vegetation indices at high spatial resolution. Compile maps and information on land under forestry and agriculture. Evaluate differences in temporal trends between land use types. The work will answer the scientific question: “does management increase or decrease the trend over time in vegetation productivity and greenness in Sweden?”
• Identify vegetation impacts of drought and disturbances on the vegetation indices and compare these to forest inventory data on mortality and growth
• If time permits, expand the analysis to all of Europe

Qualification requirements

Essential

• A PhD in a relevant field
• Good oral and written English 
• Ability to provide two references from previous supervisor / employer

Preferred

• Documented experience in handling and analysis of high-resolution remote sensing data
• Ability to read documents written in Swedish
• Experience in scientific programming (Matlab, R, etc) and tools for statistics and geographical information systems
• Experience in applying for and acquiring external funding
• Experience and ability to work individually and organise an individual schedule to fulfill a specific goal
• Experience in working in and leading a team

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.

Terms of employment
50% of full time for 2 years.

Contact. Anders Ahlström, anders.ahlstrom@nateko.lu.se

Instructions on how to apply
Applications shall be written in English and be compiled into a PDF-file containing:

• résumé/CV, including a list of publications
• a general description of past research and future research interests (no more than three pages)
• contact information of at least two references
• copy of the doctoral degree certificate, and other certificates/grades that you wish to be considered