The Suding lab at the University of California-Berkeley seeks a population or community ecologist for a two to four year post-doctoral position to work on threshold dynamics in plant species invasion, and particulalry how scale-dependent mechanisms (frequency dependence, species interactions, dispersal) may influence invasion patterns in California grasslands. The postdoctoral research associate will analyze existing datasets, initiate new experiments, and lead the collection of new datasets.
The post-doc will be supervised by Dr. Katharine Suding in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management. They will work in a team with another postdoc (population genetics) and a graduate student (disturbance/fire dynamics). The Suding lab works on questions relating to plant community dynamics, restoration, invasion, and environmental change. Required Knowledge and Experience: • Evidence of strong scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications in highly ranked journals. • Significant experience in experimental design, hypothesis testing, and soil resource analyses. • Quantitative statistics background, especially with regard to spatial and/or temporal dyanmics and population modelling. Adept at statistical programming in R. • Experience managing/analyzing large datasets • General background in ecology and experience conducting ecological field work. Ph.D. (awarded by start date) in ecology. Desirable Additional Experience: • Experience in grassland and rangeland (grazed) systems. • Experience in seed limitation, annual plant demography, and dispersal measurements. • Geographic Information Systems, ArcGIS. • Experience interacting with a diverse group of researchers and land managers/ranchers. Additional Responsibilities: • Supervision of field team and data entry/processing, mentoring beginning researchers • Disseminate results at scientific professional conferences and in peer- reviewed literature • Report writing and grant proposal development, as needed • Oversight of related laboratory activities • Ability to work in the field under sometimes strenuous conditions, with some overnight travel to field sites. A valid driver’s license is required. Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience (starting salary is $39,264 per year). This position is eligible for benefits. Timing and duration: The position is available beginning August 2012 and is fully-funded for four years. A multiple year commitment is requested. Location: Berkeley, CA To apply: Please submit PDFs of a CV, a brief cover letter highlighting your relevant experience, interests and career goals, and names and contacts of 3 references by email to [email protected] by May 18, 2012. For further information about the position, please contact Katharine Suding at [email protected]. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to excellence through diversity. Applicants should ask referees to review the UC Berkeley Statement of Confidentiality found at http://apo.chance.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html.
