Postdoctoral Researcher: Modeling tropical forest response to global change Supervisors: Jeremy Lichstein (http://people.biology.ufl.edu/jlichstein/index.html) and Stephanie Bohlman (http://sfrc.ufl.edu/faculty/Bohlman/index.html) We seek a bright, creative, and highly-motivated postdoctoral researcher to pave new directions in modeling the dynamics of tropical forests and/or the physiology of tropical trees. Candidates are encouraged to propose specific research questions related to one or more of the following themes: How have tropical forests responded to global change, and how will they respond in the future? How can we quantify the functional diversity of tropical tree communities, and how can we accurately represent this diversity in global ecosystem models designed to study feedbacks between the carbon cycle and climate change? What is the minimal set of plant traits needed to capture tropical tree functional diversity in Farquhar- type physiological models of individual growth, mortality, and fecundity? This position offers an exciting opportunity to leverage world-class datasets from Barro Colorado Island (BCI) and adjacent sites in Panama on the dynamics, functional traits, and temperature acclimation (http://people.biology.ufl.edu/jlichstein/respiration_summary.pdf) of tropical trees to improve the representation of tropical forest dynamics and tree physiology in global ecosystem models. Recently initiated eddy- covariance data from BCI are also available from collaborators at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Candidates interested in forest dynamics modeling are encouraged to capitalize on the recently developed PPA model, which uses a simple but accurate mathematical approximation to represent height-structured light competition among individual trees (Purves et al. 2008, PNAS, 105:17018-17022; Lichstein and Pacala 2011, Theoretical Ecology, 4:269-281; Bohlman and Pacala 2012, J. of Ecology, 100:508-518). The PPA model is being incorporated into a new version of the NOAA-GFDL global land model. Candidates interested in modeling tropical tree physiology are encouraged to develop statistical machinery based on likelihood or Bayesian methods to link key plant traits (e.g., LMA, Amax, Rdark, and wood density) to the carbon balance and vital rates (growth, mortality, and fecundity) of individual trees in the context of Farquhar-type photosynthetic models that are commonly used in global vegetation models. Qualifications: PhD in a relevant field of study. Preference will be given to candidates with strong quantitative and skills and demonstrated experience in their proposed area of research. Two years of funding are available, with competitive salary (commensurate with experience) and benefits. Start date: Flexible, with a preferred date no later than January 14, 2013. To apply: Send a single pdf file to Jeremy Lichstein ([email protected]) including: (i) one-page cover letter summarizing research interests and qualifications; (ii) one-page proposal describing specific goals for postdoctoral research in tropical forest dynamics and/or tree-physiology modeling; (iii) CV; and (iv) contact information for three references. Review of applications will begin on Sept. 24, 2012. Minorities, women and members of other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution.
