Postdoc project on Rewilding with large wild herbivores at Aarhus University in Denmark
Supervisors: Professor Jens-Christian Svenning (main), Senior researcher Rasmus Ejrnæs (co), and Associate professor Finn Borchsenius (co) Topic: Rewilding with large wild herbivores in Northwestern Europe building a theoretical and macroecological foundation and assessing the biodiversity and ecosystem effects of ongoing rewilding. During the Late Pleistocene and Holocene megafaunas have been and are still being decimated throughout the World. While hotly debated, this may have had strong effects on ecosystem structure and functioning. The controversial new rewilding idea proposes to re-establish functional megafaunas to reboot ecosystem functionality and biotic evolutionary potential as well as an additional extra-limital conservation measure for extant, but declining or threatened megafaunal species. The purpose of this postdoc is (1) to build a theoretical and macroecological foundation for rewilding, and (2) to evaluate the biodiversity and ecosystem effects of ongoing rewilding projects. The focal region is Europe, with a specific focus on Denmark as a study case. Here, rewilding projects are under way in a densely populated area with highly fragmented natural habitats, whereby Denmark nicely represents the challenge that rewilding will have to take place in an ever more densely populated world. The main project supervisor is Professor Jens-Christian Svenning, whose research has strong focus on macroecology, analytical biogeography, community ecology, and ecoinformatic research more generally. Professor Svenning heads the the Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity Group (ECOINF), which offers a cutting-edge and ambitious, but also positive, collaborative, and highly international research environment. For further info, see http://biology.au.dk/en/researchgroups/ecoinformatics/. Co-supervisor Associate Professor Finn Borchsenius is a botanist and also a member of ECOINF. Co-supervisor Rasmus Ejrnæs is a senior researcher at Wildlife Biology & Biodiversity (VIBI) at the National Environmental Research Institute (NERI). Dr. Ejrnæs is a leading expert on grasslands and nature management in Northwestern Europe. NERI is a leading institution for environmental monitoring and nature conservation research in Europe. The postdoc candidate is expected to provide cutting-edge skills in statistical modeling and to have strong collaborative skills. Relevant expertise specifically in relation to rewilding, e.g., animal ecology, conservation ecology, or grazing ecology, is also an advantage. The postdoc will be employed in ECOINF at the Department of Biological Science, AU. The position is for 1 year but will likely be extended as the project runs until the end of 2012. The preferred starting date is January 1 2011. Applications must be submitted online no later than Dec. 1st. 2010. For more information please contact Professor Jens-Christian Svenning, tel +45 8942 4711, [email protected]. This ad can also be found at: http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/170841-Postdoc-Project-in-Rewilding-with-large-wild-herbivores
