Apologies for cross-posting Plant Physiological Ecology - University of New Mexico
The Department of Biology has postdoctoral support, starting in January 2009, for a highly motivated individual interested in working on a DOE funded collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) addressing the hydraulic mechanisms of survival and mortality of piñon and juniper trees during drought. The recent drought in the southwestern USA has caused widespread mortality of piñon pine; however, the exact causes of mortality and survival have yet to be elucidated. Field work will be located at a woodland site within the Sevilleta LTER where ecosystem-scale manipulations of water availability are ongoing. The experimental manipulations and measurements are already installed, thus the primary responsibilities of the postdoc will be maintenance of the experiment, data collection and analysis and writing manuscripts. The project includes opportunities for measurements and modeling of plant water relations and their impact on carbon balance. The University of New Mexico and LANL have a strong group in physiological ecology, ecosystem science and eco-hydrology presenting many opportunities for interaction with scientists in related areas. Required qualifications: Ph.D. at the time of appointment, research experience in physiological or ecosystem ecology or related fields, demonstrated ability to publish peer-reviewed papers, effective written and oral communication skills, and willingness to work in a team environment. Experience with dataloggers, gas exchange instrumentation, sapflow, water relations and hydraulic measurements, or process modeling are desirable. For more information contact Will Pockman ([EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.unm.edu/~pockman/) and/or Nate McDowell ([EMAIL PROTECTED], http://climateresearch.lanl.gov/). Applications will be reviewed as they are received.