Postdoctoral Associate,
Riparian Forest Restoration and Ecosystem Services in Tierra del Fuego
The Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources
and Environmental Conservation is seeking a
full-time Postdoctoral Associate to coordinate
the measurement of riparian forest ecosystem
services, specifically carbon sequestration, in
Tierra del Fuego (Argentina and Chile). Ecology,
Culture & Outcomes - Linking Human Perceptions &
Socio-ecological Thresholds for Ecosystem
Restoration (ECO-Link) is an NSF-funded project
in the Coupled Nature-Human Systems Program that
brings together U.S. researchers with Argentine
and Chilean colleagues from academic, NGO, and
governmental institutions to determine whether a
current lack of participation in ecosystem
management initiatives by landowners is
influenced by a broken incentive structure that
does not account for feedbacks between underlying
social perceptions and ecosystem service
delivery. Studying efforts to control invasive
beavers and subsequently reforest riparian zones
on Tierra del Fuego Island, we hypothesize that
the thresholds that separate inaction from action
in conservation can be overcome by explicitly
integrating social and ecological understanding
into the design of effective incentives.
The selected candidate will conduct ecological
research and be an active collaborator with the
PIs, assisting with general supervision and
coordination of the project. The position will be
based primarily in Ushuaia, Argentina, with
visits to Blacksburg, Virginia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Concepción, Chile.
This is a non-tenure-track position with an
initial appointment of 12 months and the
possibility of a two-month renewal. Salary will
be commensurate with background and experience,
with an excellent
<http://www.hr.vt.edu/benefits/index.html>benefits
package. Funds are also available for travel and
activities related to the postdoc mentoring plan.
The cost of living in Argentina is generally
lower than in most places in the U.S. while still
maintaining a high standard of living.
Qualifications:
A Ph.D. in ecosystem science, ecology, or related
conservation or sustainability science field is
required. Demonstrated proficiency in working in
interdisciplinary and international settings and
previous research experience in Latin America are highly desired.
Application Procedure: Online application is required.
<http://www.hr.vt.edu/employment/>http://www.hr.vt.edu/employment/,
Posting #0122347
Requests for confidentiality will be respected.
Desired start date is between December, 2012, and April, 2013.
Review of applications will begin on or about
October 15, 2012, and continue until a suitable applicant is selected.
For additional information about this position, please contact:
<http://www.osara.org/Anderson.htm>Dr. Christopher B. Anderson
[email protected]
Information on Work Location:
This research will take place on Tierra del Fuego
Island, which lies at the ecotone of the
Patagonian steppe ecosystem (identified by WWF as
a Global 200 priority Biome) and the
sub-Antarctic forests (identified by Conservation
International as one of the worlds last 24
pristine wilderness areas). The selected
candidate will be integrated into a team of
scientists in the Forestry Resources Lab at
CADIC, which won the 2012 National Prize for
Biodiversity and Sustainability Research
(<http://www.osara.org/journal>www.osara.org/journal).
As a part of Argentinas National Scientific and
Technical Commissions
(<http://www.conicet.gov.ar/web/conicet/inicio>CONICET)
network of research institutes, the Austral
Center for Scientific Research
(<http://www.cadic-conicet.gob.ar/>CADIC) has
been the leading research institute in southern
Patagonia since 1981, with non-resident staff
beginning work as early as 1969. Today, the CADIC
has more than 67,000 square feet of laboratories,
library, conference hall, meeting space, dorms,
and offices. It houses approximately 31
researchers, 32 graduate students, 25
technicians, and 25 support staff. Its physical
plant maintains eight vehicles and two boats, and
its laboratories include Anthropology and
Archaeology, Geology, Marine Biology, Forestry
and Agronomy, and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.
ECO-Link Description, Context, and Partners:
The North American beaver was introduced into
southern South Americas Tierra del Fuego
Archipelago in 1943. Subsequently, it expanded
its range and has become the cause of the largest
landscape-level alterations to these southern
Patagonian forests since the retreat of the last
glaciation. To confront this conservation issue,
Chilean, Argentine, and U.S. institutions have
been collaborating since 2006 to develop a joint
research and management program with
institutional commitments from the Chilean
Ministry of Environment, Chilean Agriculture and
Livestock Service, Argentine National Parks
Administration, Argentine Secretary of
Environment and Sustainable Development, the
Wildlife Conservation Society, and national and
international universities and research
institutions. However, as a social and ecological
problem, the issue of managing Tierra del Fuegos
exotic and native ecosystems requires an
integrated research approach to determine the
links between human and natural systems.
To fill this gap, ECO-Link will assess the social
and ecological thresholds and feedbacks that
influence stakeholder participation in
environmental management programs related to
invasive North American beaver control and
subsequent riparian forest restoration in Tierra
del Fuego. Methods of inquiry will include: 1)
studying the mental models of nature held by land
owners/managers, as well as examining the
structural processes, social influences, and
cultural issues that facilitate or constrain
decision-making and action; 2) using stated
choice experiments to examine the potential for
incentive programs to improve participation in
ecosystem management; 3) quantifying associated
ecosystem services (specifically carbon
sequestration) under scenarios of beaver impacts
and reforestation; and 4) integrating
perceptions, incentives, and ecosystem services
across a large landscape under various land
tenures in two countries (Chile and Argentina).
We hypothesize that a current lack of
participation in ecosystem management initiatives
is influenced by a broken incentive structure
that does not account for feedbacks between
underlying perceptions/beliefs and ecosystem
service delivery that affects social well-being.
The thresholds that separate inaction from action
in conservation, therefore, can be overcome by
explicitly integrating this social-ecological
understanding into the design of effective
incentives. Furthermore, by leveraging an
established international and inter-institutional
collaborative network, our interdisciplinary
expert team is uniquely positioned to conduct
transformative human-nature research.
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employees, students, or applicants for admission or
employment on the basis of race, gender,
disability, age, veteran status, national origin,
religion, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
Anyone having questions concerning discrimination
should contact the
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