The USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) is advertising for a Post-Doctoral GS-0408-11 Research Ecologist. The position will be funded for a two year period. This notification is being circulated to inform prospective applicants of this upcoming opportunity and determine interest in the position.
The Research Ecologist will be a member of a collaborative research project within the Conservation of Biological Diversity unit of PSW, and will coordinate with staff and scientists within PSW and outside organizations to accomplish the objectives of an externally funded research grant from the Pacific Island Climate Change Consortium, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Landscape Conservation Consortium. The outcome of this project will be a user-friendly Tropical Decision Support Tool (TDST) that water resource and watershed managers can use to identify critical conservation areas for restoration, target restoration treatments to enhance water quality and quantity including things like weed control and fencing, and understand the watershed threats resulting from things like climate change and/or invasive species spread in Hawaiian watersheds. The primary duties and responsibilities of the incumbent are to conduct research investigating the combined influences of climate, land use, topography, invasive species, and fire on current and projected hydrological patterns in Hawaii and US affiliated Pacific Islands. The assignment is to use a combination of landscape metrics, niche-modeling techniques, and model simulations to (a) identify the differential influences of fine-scaled and broad-scaled processes on observed and projected landscape patterns, (b) understand current and forecasted impacts of climate change, land-use, invasive species, and fire on natural processes on tropical Island landscapes, (c) use landscape pattern metrics to test observed patterns against those proposed by middle-number systems theories to help guide future management of tropical island watersheds and landscapes, and (d) ultimately develop a Tropical Decision Support Tool. He/she will also coordinate workshops with principal investigators, project leaders, and various stakeholders and end-users to gather information that will be used to effectively develop a TDST as well as to provide training to run the TDST. The incumbent assists in planning and conducting field surveys, and with the management and analysis of data, including entering data in computers, archiving data in accordance with established protocols, performing statistical analyses, and summarizing data in forms such as graphs, figures, and tables suitable for publication in scientific journals or for presentation at scientific meetings. The incumbent assists with the preparation of journal articles and presentations for scientific meetings. The Research Ecologist will be expected to write portions of such publications and may have senior authorship in some cases. She/he assists with the preparation of presentations of research results at local community meetings and at scientific meetings, seminars, and other forums. The incumbent will be expected to give such presentations occasionally, especially at local meetings. The work frequently will require standing and walking in steep, rough terrain, often in inclement weather. The position will be located at the Pacific Southwest Research Station Hilo office at the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry at 60 Nowelo St. Hilo, Hawaii 96720. If you are interested in this position please send a copy of your curriculum vitae to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> no later than June 2nd, 2012. Richard A. MacKenzie, Ph.D. Aquatic Ecologist Conservation of Biodiversity Program Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Pacific Southwest Research Station USDA Forest Service 60 Nowelo St. Hilo, HI 96720 (808)854-2616 (808)933-8121 fax This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.
