The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) is developing a modeling system to investigate the effects of land use, watershed management, and climate change on the NYC water supply. The following Post Doc position is available to work with NYCDEP modeling staff on development and application of simulation models to support these investigations. This position is for two years with possibility of renewal for an additional two years. The position is located in Kingston, N.Y., 100 miles north of NYC in the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River Valley.
The scientist will develop forest ecosystem models for the NYC water supply watersheds that simulate ecosystem processing of soil-vegetation- atmosphere-water transfers, and that utilize remotely sensed data sources. These models will be useful for addressing questions like: • What are the effects of climate change on the forested landscape and how will this influence water supply? • Are there land use and forest management practices that can be implemented to improve water supply reliability in a changing climate? • What is the potential for forests to provide carbon sinks as offsets to urban CO2 production in NYC carbon budgeting? Specific tasks include: • Evaluate and recommend appropriate forest ecosystem models based on modeling application needs and available data. This requires an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of current ecosystem models; the potential questions that these models can address; the input data requirements as compared to current data availability; and ability for model to be implemented within DEP’s modeling program. • Develop selected model(s) for the NYC watersheds. This includes all necessary data analyses; collection of additional necessary data; development of model changes necessitated by watershed characteristics unique to the NYC watersheds; calibration and testing of the model; and all necessary software and tools for implementation of model with DEP’s modeling program. The candidate should have a Ph.D. or equivalent experience in water resource management, hydrology, ecology, civil/environmental engineering, or a related discipline. Experience in terrestrial ecosystem modeling is preferred. For more information regarding this position send a letter of interest and resume to: Elliot Schneiderman Senior Research Scientist Water Quality Modeling 71 Smith Ave Kingston N.Y. 12401 Email: [email protected] Phone 845 340 7797
