Understanding how water moves through terrestrial ecosystems is not just a fundamental question for hydrologists, but it also highly relevant for the long/term productivity of our forests, the continuity of fresh water supplies, and maintaining flourishing lakes and streams. Yet one of the major challenges when modeling the terrestrial hydrologic cycle is the need to partition evapotranspiration losses into evaporation and transpiration. We are seeking a highly motivated candidate for a postdoctoral position aimed at partitioning evaporation and transpiration water fluxes across multiple spatial and temporal scales in an already established, well instrumented boreal forest catchment (www.slu.se/Krycklan). The main goal of this project is to use a combination of techniques, including sap flow measurement, stable isotope techniques and eddy covariance data to investigate the interactions and feedbacks between vegetation and the terrestrial hydrologic cycle as well as evaluate how these interactions and feedbacks may respond to a changing climate. Additionally, this position is part of a larger project that is funded by the prestigious Wallenberg Foundation, with the overarching aim of deepening our fundamental understanding of the physiological and environmental drivers of carbon and water flows and their coupling in forest ecosystems. Thus, the successful candidate will be a member of a large, vibrant working group that offers ample possibilities to interact with a diverse group of experts in the field of ecohydrology.
The project will take advantage of an already established network of sap flow sensors in combination with detail forest inventory data to i) quantity canopy transpiration across different temporal scales ranging from daily, seasonal to inter annual, ii) partition evapotranspiration into evaporation and transpiration within different sub-catchments to better understand how forest stand dynamics influence water losses back to the atmosphere, and iii) integrate this information into process based hydrologic models. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to participate in other ongoing projects that are using natural abundance stable isotopes techniques to quantify evaporation, transpiration, and water movement throughout the soil profile. The position is with the Faculty of Forest Sciences at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Ecology & Management, in Umeå, Sweden. Our mission at the Department is to advance our understanding of forest ecosystem processes and to assist in developing sustainable forest management practices. The department has modern technical facilities, close collaboration with several state-of-the-art technical platforms at Umeå University and SLU, and is in close proximity to unique long-term ecosystem experiments and other field sites. For more information, visit the Department’s webpage: http://www.slu.se/en/departments/forest-ecology-management/. Duties: 1) Oversee and maintain a network of sap flow sensors within the Krycklan Catchment; 2) Process and analyze sap flow data and in combination with forest inventory data calculate rates canopy transpiration at the sub-catchment and catchment scale; 3) Publish findings in relevant high-rank scientific journals. The overall aim of this project is to quantify the important role trees play in the boreal hydrologic cycle as well as evaluate how changes in forest structure and climate change influence canopy transpiration. Qualifications: We are seeking a highly motivated individual with good communication skills in English, both orally and written, a strong work ethic, a team player that works well in a strong research environment. We are searching for a person with a PhD in ecohydrology, plant physiology, hydrology or related field. The successful candidate must also have demonstrated experience handling and processing large, high-frequency data sets using Matlab or similar software. Experience in sap flux measurements, hydrological modeling, GIS analyses, and/or stable isotope techniques would be advantageous. The candidate must be able to independently conduct field work, which requires a valid driver’s license. Contact and application information Persons interested in this position should send a statement of interest outlining relevant research qualifications (max two pages), a CV, up to three relevant publications and contact information for three references. Application should be sent to Niles Hasselquist ([email protected]). For additional information about his position please contact Niles Hasselquist ([email protected]) or Hjalmar Laudon ([email protected]). Complete application must be received by April 27, 2018. The position start date is somewhat flexible but is anticipated to start in June. The position is for two years and is funded by a Kempe scholarship.
