Post-doc Position: Using remote sensing and demographic analyses to conduct a vulnerability assessment of oak wilt and implications for black bears across an island archipelago, UW-Madison, Pauli and SILVIS Labs
Overview: Oaks provide important nutrition for many wildlife species, including black bears. However, oak wilt is a serious and often deadly fungal disease of oaks. Distributed across the Great Lakes Region, National Parks across the region are actively suppressing oak wilt once detected. At parks where the disease has not yet been encountered, your work will help park managers target areas for early detection monitoring, plan responses, and anticipate the impacts on oak-dependent species. In the past two years, oak wilt has migrated northward into the southern portion of Bayfield Co., WI. With the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore at the northern extent of the county, the National Park Service is interested in integrating social and ecological factors to assess the park’s potential vulnerabilities to oak wilt – both direct vulnerabilities to oak trees and indirect vulnerabilities triggered by loss of food sources to wildlife. For example, our prior research has found that oak mast is the principal driver of black bear (Mukwa) population dynamics. We are seeking one post-doctoral associate to contribute to this exciting project to 1) develop a remote sensing derived distribution map of oak trees across the park and; 2) integrate that distribution map with additional social and environmental factors to assess the vulnerability of oak trees; 3) use the vulnerability of oaks trees to conduct scenario-based simulations of the population dynamics of bears in the park. This position will be based in the Pauli (https://pauli.russell.wisc.edu/) and SILVIS labs (http://silvis.forest.wisc.edu/) and co-supervised by Jonathan Pauli and Volker Radeloff. Both laboratories are part of the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The postdoctoral position is for 2 years with a strong potential for continued support. The appointment will be as a research associate. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience, and health benefits are included. The position is available immediately, and we seek to fill it by June 1st 2025, but a later start date may be considered. Review of applicants will begin immediately, but the positions will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. Applications received by January 15th 2025 are guaranteed consideration. Qualifications: We seek candidates who work well in a collaborative setting and have excellent communication and writing skills. Good English writing and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to work in a team, are essential. Candidates should have demonstrated skills in the processing and handling of datasets, remote sensing, population dynamics and wildlife demographics. Applicants for the post-doc position must have completed their Ph.D. at the time of appointment and have published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. To apply: Please submit your application here: Post-doc Position: Oaks and Black Bears<https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1OmrdMXxTNfyK7c> Submitting an application includes filling out a small survey and takes approximately 15 minutes. It requires contact information for three references, and to upload in PDF format: * a 1-2-page cover letter summarizing research interests and experiences * a Curriculum Vitae * unofficial graduate transcripts (as a single PDF) * two representative articles (as a single PDF) Reference letters and official transcripts will only be required for shortlisted candidates. The position is open to both U.S. citizens, and international citizens. UW-Madison will assist with visa applications as necessary for those selected for the positions. UW-Madison is a major research university in the United States ranking consistently among the top ten university in research expenditures among all U.S. universities. Total student enrollment is 55,000 of which 12,000 are graduate and professional students, and there are over 2,200 faculty. It is an exciting place to learn and conduct research. The university has a long history of excellence in ecology, conservation biology, and remote sensing. The city of Madison ranks as one of the top places in the U.S. to live and work. For information about campus and city, please see http://www.wisc.edu/about/ The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://community.esa.org/confirm/?u=RhPWqPxFwODKvbkiT32nkIqRrsiSgulp
