A postdoctoral position is available at the USGS Canyonlands Research Station located in Moab, UT. The successful candidate will work on a collaborative project examining how climate change will affect soils, plants, and nutrient cycles of the Colorado Plateau. This project includes analysis of existing vegetation survey data and a large rainfall manipulation experiment. Within the framework of this large, USGS-funded study, this position will: 1) oversee treatments and supervise technicians helping with data collection, 2) synthesize data to explore patterns of climate change linkages to ecosystem function, 3) effectively use statistical analyses to assess effects, and 4) communicate results in presentations and peer-reviewed publications.
This position offers an exciting opportunity to elucidate how climate change predicted to be notably strong on the Colorado Plateau will affect the plants, soils, and ecosystem function of the region. Specifically, this position will focus on 1) how treatments affect plant cover, physiology (e.g., gas exchange, water potential), and phenology and 2) explore how plant-soil-interactions are likely to change under a drier climate. A Ph.D. degree and a background in laboratory and field methods in ecology, plant physiology, and/or soil science is preferred. The Canyonlands Research Station is a USGS-BRD facility and the successful applicant would be working with Drs. Jayne Belnap and Mike Duniway. Moab, UT is a small town offering a variety of outdoor adventures, and more information about Moab can be found at www.discovermoab.com. Salary is $47,500/year plus full benefits. Preferred start date is Feb 2014. Position is expected to last 2 years with potential 2-year extension. Interested individuals should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and three references to Mike Duniway (mduni...@usgs.gov or mailed to 2290 S.W. Resource Blvd., Moab, UT 84532). Electronic applications are preferred. Visit http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/news_info/jobs for updates about the position. Both Drs. Duniway (mduni...@usgs.gov) and Belnap (jayne_bel...@usgs.gov) will be at ESA. If you would like to talk, drop us an email and we will arrange a meeting.
