The Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS), Fire, Fuels, and Smoke Science Program of the USDA Forest Service is hiring a full-time, fixed term postdoctoral position to validate and improve models of fire- induced tree mortality in the US. This 2-year position is targeted to be filled within six months.
DUTY STATION: This position is located at the Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. MAJOR DUTIES: The successful candidate will contribute to a recently funded project on fire-induced tree mortality by leading efforts to assemble a tree database of across forested landscapes in the Western and Southeastern United States to formally validate existing fire-caused tree mortality models against independent datasets. The combined database will then be used to determine if accounting for climate increases model accuracy and results incorporated into the widely used fire effects models in FOFEM, FFE-FVS, and Behave Plus to show the expected mortality given a range of pre-fire climate conditions. Additional analyses to examine how direct and indirect factors influence fire-induced tree mortality will also be performed. The incumbent will be responsible for database management, statistical analyses for large datasets, publishing results, and working to incorporate results in to current software systems. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must have completed their Ph.D. in the field of Forestry/Ecology/Natural Resources or closely related field at the time of appointment. Demonstrated ability to publish in peer-reviewed scientific journals, skills in statistical modeling and assembling/managing large datasets are required, as well as a strong knowledge of fire ecology. Experience with collaborating with multiple stakeholders and ability to process climatological data is desirable. Contact Sharon Hood by October 15, 2016 for additional information if interested in the position. Phone Number: 406-329-4818 E-mail address: sharonmh...@fs.fed.us
