The Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico is recruiting a post-doctoral researcher/college assistant professor to participate in research and lead projects in the application of ecological state-and-transition models to management of arid ecosystems. The Jornada is a leader in the application of ecosystem state-and-transition models to land management and in the development of globally applied ecosystem monitoring and assessment protocols. This position provides an opportunity to develop applications that will be applied by government agencies, private landowners, and other land managers to increase the sustainable management of rangelands in the United States, Africa, Asia and Latin America. For more information, visit http://jornada.nmsu.edu and http://www.landscapetoolbox.org.
This is a full-time position (planned for two years with the possibility of continuation depending on funding) with New Mexico State University. The Jornada Experimental Range is a research unit of the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, and is located on the New Mexico State University campus. Description of Duties: The incumbent will work with scientists at the Jornada Experimental Range to support the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregional Assessment by conducting background research and compiling existing datasets and models on each of the conservation targets, and developing conceptual models that link the conservation targets to the management questions by considering the effects of the change agents and management actions. The incumbent will also be responsible for develop a database that describes plant community responses to disturbance activities on Department of Defense lands with respect to ecological sites and states, working with Jornada technicians to gather data on the location, type and plant community response to training activities on ecological sites on three DoD installations. The position will also provide opportunities to develop innovative research on threshold transitions and resilience of desert plant communities. Possible research topics include: defining multi-scale state-and-transition models to describe how processes of different magnitudes and frequencies affect desert ecosystems; examining the influence of soil loss and deposition due to wind erosion on large-scale state transitions. Qualifications: PhD degree (in hand by hire date) in ecology, soil science, or a related natural resources field. Experience with and understanding of state-and-transition modeling of ecological systems and their applications to natural resource management. Proficiency in geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing. Demonstrated experience in data collection, management, statistical analysis, and synthesis. Good oral and written communication skills with demonstrated experience in communicating with scientific and public audiences through a variety of media formats, including peer-review publications and project reports. Experience in designing and developing software applications for GIS or statistical analysis is desired. Salary and Start Date: Salary is dependent on experience. This position includes health, vacation, and retirement benefits. A start date of September 1, 2013 is preferred, but negotiable. Application: You may apply for this position at http://www.nmsu.edu/~personel/postings/faculty/1164615.html. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Jason Karl at [email protected] or 575-646-1301. -- Jason Karl, Ph.D. Research Ecologist USDA ARS Jornada Experimental Range P.O. Box 30003, MSC 3JER New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003 575-646-1301 (office) 575-386-9125 (cell) [email protected]
