This position is through the U.S. Geological Survey's Mendenhall program and will be located in Fort Collins, Colorado. To apply see opportunity listing at http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/opps/research.html.
Mendenhall post-doctoral Research Opportunity - Testing and improving detection and forecasts of invasive species using species distribution models Invasive species are often listed as a top management need by management agencies. High priority issues for the USGS include how invasive species establish and spread, how they move across national boundaries, and what systems may be most vulnerable to invasions. Understanding these issues is critical to successful prevention and control of invasive species at multiple scales from national to individual resource management units. Species distribution modeling can be used to understand and determine species distributions and to forecast distributions in new locations or under altered conditions such as changing climate. Forecasts, however, have added challenges particularly when based on observational data, which is most often the case especially for invasive species for which little may be known from their native range. The USGS is engaged in a wide range of research related to invasive species, including the application of species distribution modeling to inform management activities. The USGS has invested in development of the Resource for Advanced Modeling (RAM) to bring together researchers for collaborative research. Remote sensing and climate forecasting experts, habitat modelers, field ecologists, and land managers have been brought together to work in a synergistic environment conducive to species distribution modeling (https://www.fort.usgs.gov/ram). USGS researchers have also developed a modeling program called the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM; Morisette et al. 2013) to facilitate species distribution modeling of invasive species and visualization and communication of results to resource managers. Thus far these efforts have been focused on correlative models, generally using only presence information. This Mendenhall project seeks a research scientist to improve species distribution modeling activities within the RAM to inform invasive species management activities. The research should focus on using existing data sets, either from aggregated data such as gisin.org or from individual management units (e.g., a national park or wildlife refuge). Within these broad boundaries, the candidate could explore a wide range of topics including, but not limited to the following: - Develop techniques to explicitly deal with uncertainty in forecasts - Identification of ‘the next big invader’ - Testing and/ or expansion of SAHM methods, which currently include five correlative statistical techniques - Incorporating dispersal, both large and small scale, into national distribution models - Advance early detection and rapid response capabilities utilizing species distribution models - Research on similarities/differences between invasive species and diseases in an SDM framework Successful candidates should possess strong ecological knowledge and quantitative skills dealing with large data sets and species distribution modeling. A successful proposal will involve using species distribution modeling for invasive species to move forward the science supporting the management of invasive species. -- Catherine Jarnevich Research Ecologist U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center 2150 Center Ave Bldg C Fort Collins, CO 80526 970-226-9439
