Open PhD Position in Global Change Ecology
The Physiological Plant Ecology group is looking for a PhD student in Globarl Change ecology (supervision by Prof. Ansgar Kahmen) start in February 2019.
The Physiological Plant Ecology group (Prof. Kahmen) of the University of Basel investigates the ecophysiological processes in plants that determine the fluxes of water, nitrogen and carbon in natural and agricultural ecosystems. The goals of our research are to understand how plants operate in the context of their environment and to reveal how plants shape the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. The open position is within a newly established ecosystem manipulation experiment, where we seek to determine how temperate grasslands respond to and recover from extreme drought events.
Your Tasks
The key objective of the advertised position is to perform plant ecophysiological, biogeochemical and microbiological measurements that will allow to identify how a common grass (Lolium perenne) responds to and recovers from drought events that differ in duration. A specific focus of the project is to determine the time it takes for an ecosystem to fully recover from severe climate perturbations and to identify if possible compensatory effects exist that can buffer the immediate impact of drought, e.g. on ecosystem productivity.
Profile
We are looking for a dynamic, reliable and motivated PhD with a degree in biology, agronomy, environmental sciences or related disciplines. The candidate should be willing to manage a large field experiment. Strong interest in process-oriented research in plant physiological ecology, the ability to work analytically with large datasets and the willingness to perform fieldwork are required for the position. In addition, a driver’s license is a prerequisite to be able to reach the field site. Teamwork within the group and project partners requires spoken and written English language skills.
We Offer
We offer a PhD position in an international and interdisciplinary research environment at the University of Basel. The candidate will closely collaborate with the Grassland Group at Agroscope (Prof. Andreas Lüscher, Zurich Reckenholz). Salary and social benefits are provided according to University of Basel rules.
Contact
Please send your complete application (CV, letter of motivation, contact information of three references) to Mrs. Maura Ellenberger (maura.ellenberger@unibas.ch). Application deadline is December 7th 2018. Further information on the project can be obtained from Prof. Kahmen (ansgar.kahmen@unibas.ch).