POSTDOCTORAL POSITION PLANT SPECIES’ DISTRIBUTION MODELING
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS/HARVARD FOREST/ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIOLOGICAL LAB The Stinson lab at U. Mass Amherst seeks a postdoctoral researcher with a background in hierarchical species distribution modeling to generate predictive maps for invasive and allergenic plant species. The position offers an opportunity to work with unique spatial datalayers and extensive presence/absence datasets. The postdoc will interact regularly with scientists in Environmental Conservation at University of Massachusetts as well as two premier field stations: The Harvard Forest and the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab. We are an interactive research team working together on diverse aspects of plant ecology and global change with an interest in the importance of land use history, land cover change, climate, and microhabitat variables as drivers of plant population dynamics and spatial distribution. At least two publications are well within reach for the first year, with an opportunity to develop a new independent project and additional manuscripts for a second year of funding. Position offers broad training in plant ecology, academic writing, and grant development. Candidates should have a strong background in hierarchical approaches to understanding range shifts (i.e., CART, MaxENT), proficiency in R and ArcGIS and an excellent publication record. While modeling is the focus, a willingness to work in high altitude field conditions during summer is preferred. Earliest start date is October 1. Initial position is one year, with a second year contingent on performance. TO APPLY: Please send a single PDF file with CV, LETTER OF INTEREST AND names of 3 academic references directly to kstin...@eco.umass.edu.
