Researcher in geoscience with focus on the role of fire for biodiversity and carbon storage in boreal forest - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

This project aims to tackle the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change by targeting one of their most significant drivers: fire. The boreal region provides a substantial belowground carbon reservoir that is important for stabilizing Earth’s climate. However, global warming and associated increased wildfire activity threaten to release these stores as greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere, forming a positive feedback cycle with climate change. Warming has the potential to shift forests towards a more temperate structure with greater storage of carbon above ground to compensate for that lost from below.

By using prescribed fires as experiments, the study will provide highly-temporally resolved information about fire impact on carbon storage, microbial communities and nutrient cycling and their control over plant regrowth and biodiversity. The study will utilize both observational and experimental approaches to provide dual insight into natural and managed pathways of forest regrowth.

Repeated post-fire sampling will provide a high-resolution time-series of early ecosystem recovery and elemental cycling at the fire sites. The sampling will include the total and pyrogenic fraction of carbon and nitrogen in the soil as well as the understory plant species diversity and biomass. Additionally, phospholipid fatty-acid (PLFA) will be measured to determine microbial community structure and ion-exchange resin capsules used to determine nutrient availability. Forest biodiversity and carbon accumulation after fire will be studied by experimental addition of nutrients, trenching (mycorrhizal fungi removal), soil organic layer removal and native seed addition to random plots within the prescribed burn and observational measurements taken over time.

Work duties:

The work tasks include:

• Actively participate, drive and develop the research project.
• Participate in fieldwork. Tasks include developing the experimental design and sampling strategy, vegetation surveys and soil sampling at fire sites.
• Performing analyses of PyC (using charcoal, CTO375 and BPCA), org C and N, PLFAs, and micronutrients using resin capsules.
• Summarising the data and writing research papers.
• Presenting research results at conferences and workshops.
• Assisting in supervision of degree projects and doctoral students.
• Actively seeking external research funding.

Qualification requirements:

Applicants must have:

• A PhD or equivalent research qualification within the subject of the position.
• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Experience of measuring C and N using elemental analysis
• Experience in organic geochemistry, including experience of methods for solvent extraction and oxidation of organic compounds and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.
• Experience in field sampling.
• Documented ability to write research papers.
• Documented abiltity to secure external funding.

Assessment criteria and other qualifications:

• Experience and interest in working with carbon transport and storage in soils and sediments in  boreal systems is qualifying.

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:

Full-time permanent employment. A probationary period of 6 months may be applicable.
Perferred start date: April 15th 2025.

This employment is today placed at the department of geology. From January 1st 2026 your employment will be placed at the newly formed department of Earth and Environmental Sciences due to a planned co-organization. This will give you a unique opportunity to be a part of a dynamic development process and give you an opportunity to contribute to a new interdisciplinary department. 

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.

Welcome to apply!