Angebote » Post-Doc 22 months Modeling plant biodiversity

Post-doc position (22 months) in modeling plant biodiversity

The Mediterranean Institute for Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE,
Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France), in its
Research Group "Conservation Ecology and Biotic Interactions"
has a 22-months Post-doc position open for applications. The
position is funded through a European Neigborhood Partnership
(ENPI) project on vulnerability of coastal ecosystems, involving
research groups from Rome and Cagliari (Italy), Alexandria
(Egypt), Beirut (Lebanon) and Sfax (Tunisia). At IMBE, the
project is directed by Arne Saatkamp, Agathe Leriche, and
Cécile Albert, in Marseille, France - a region noted for its
access to outdoor activities.

The project aims to model the impacts of fragmentation (spatial
organization), habitat degradation (land use change) on plant
biodiversity of coastal ecosystems around the Mediterranean. We aim
to fit to observations and output from plant distribution models
(accounting for spatial explicit migration, neutral (stochastic)
processes and community assembly rules) in order to assess the
impact of spatial configuration on plant diversity. We then aim to
simulate potential future changes in spatial configuration of these
habitats. This project will benefit from a large data base of
plant distributions and co-occurrences as well as extensive
environmental and phylogenetic data gathered in previous projects
and will be in contact with other regional to large scale model
project in our institute.

The post-doc should start as soon as possible, dealing with existing
GIS and floristic databases, interacting with researchers in our
lab working on a broad range of projects in climate/global change
impacts, macroecological patterns, phylogeography, functional
ecology, landscape ecology and conservation biology.

We look for a person with a Ph.D. in landscape ecology, plant
ecology, biogeography, global change ecology/geography and with
strong mathematical/modeling skills willing to work with spatial
explicit biodiversity data. A background in distribution (niche)
modeling, neutral theory of biodiversity & biogeography and
modeling of dispersal processes at the landscape level will be
particularly helpful. We look for a candidate with excellent English
language and especially writing skills (publication record),
willingness to work in a team and strong experience in modeling
techniques in one of the above fields, knowledge of using R.
Knowledge of French language or willing to learn basics is a plus,
but not required. Salary will correspond to French post-doc
researcher positions which include social assurance coverage.

For more information regarding the position contact Dr. Arne
Saatkamp (arne.saatkamp@imbe.fr). For application, please supply
a single PDF document including: (i) a one page statement of
interest and prospectives concerning the project, (ii) a 2 page
curriculum vitae including publication record and (iii) two
reference contacts that are willing to give information on your
previous work (mail & phone), applications as early as
possible, the position will be assigned at latest 31. January
2014.