The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF is part of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL and thus of the ETH Domain. WSL focuses on the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on the handling of natural hazards. WSL employs approximately 600 people, of whom 140 work at SLF in Davos.
The Research Unit Alpine Environment and Natural Hazards studies relationships between climate, land-use and biodiversity. In the framework of the EU CHARTER project, we are looking for the duration of 9-12 months, starting in April/May 2023, for a
PostDoc “Arctic plant diversity and local species pools” 80-100% (f/m/d)
Changes in biodiversity due to climate or land-use change have been observed in numerous observational and experimental studies. Much less is known, however, how the local (and often unknown or “hidden”) species pool influences plant communities to respond to changing environments (see e.g.
https://osf.io/agdfq/).
In this project, you will analyse plant species turnover in relation to local species pools in global Arctic and alpine studies, such as the International Tundra Experiment ITEX. Based on data on habitat diversity and plant functional traits, you will identify the potential vulnerability of arctic-alpine plant species and their habitats to climate change. You will work in close collaboration with members from the EU CHARTER project. The workplace will be in Davos, Switzerland.
You hold a Doctoral degree in biology, ecology, botany, environmental sciences or a related field. You are familiar with statistical models that relate spatial and temporal changes with environmental factors and in handling large data sets (particularly with R). You are motivated and experienced in writing scientific publications. In addition, you are a team player, you possess good oral and written communication skills, are well-organised and capable of working independently and efficiently.
Please send your complete application to Jasmine Zollinger, Human Resources WSL/SLF, by uploading the requested documents through our webpage. Applications via email will not be considered. Christian Rixen, phone: +41 (0)81 417 02 14 and email:
rixen@slf.ch, will be happy to answer any questions or offer further information. The WSL strives to increase the proportion of women in its employment, which is why qualified women are particularly called upon to apply for this position.