Post-doc and Phd posistions

Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, USA

Postdoctoral Researcher in Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling

For the first year, half of the position will involve management of the NSF Research Coordination Network (RCN) on Reactive Nitrogen in the Environment.  The other half of the first year and up to two full additional years are to be dedicated to research on developing the Dual Arrhenius Michaelis-Menten (DAMM) model for soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics as part of a collaborative project with researchers from Harvard University, the USDA-FS, and the Woods Hole Research Center.  The DAMM model2 will be integrated with the Forest Biomass, Assimilation, Allocation and Respiration (FöBAAR) model3, using data from an on-going project at the Howland Forest of Maine4, applying data-model fusion techniques.  The model will also be modified to integrate CH4 and N2O uptake and efflux processes with decomposition and CO2 efflux simulations.  The ultimate aim of the project is to improve understanding of and modeling capacity for interactions of belowground temperature, moisture, and substrate supply from aboveground processes as controllers of net soil emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O.
Qualifications: A Ph.D. in biogeochemistry, ecology, or a closely related field is required.  The successful candidate will have a working knowledge of C and N cycling processes in terrestrial ecosystems.  Experience with process-based quantitative modeling, statistical analysis of large data sets, and model-data fusion or data assimilation is required.  Knowledge of at least one scientific programming language (ideally FORTRAN, MATLAB and/or R) is necessary, and experience using Bayesian approaches is desirable. Willingness to assist with team efforts at field work is expected.  Good writing and communication skills are essential.
For further information and instructions to apply visit this web page
Postdoctoral Researcher in Biogeochemistry of Amazonian Land-Use Change
The post-doc will work closely with the PI on a synthesis of studies regarding the effects of stoichiometric ratios of C:N:P on ecosystem productivity and land management sustainability across an array of forest (mature and secondary), pasture, and cropping systems in the Brazilian Amazon Basin.  The objective of the project is to ask from a biogeochemical perspective, what are the key components of sustainable land management in a matrix of land covers?  The possibility may exist for some additional field studies, depending on further funding.
Qualifications: A Ph.D. in biogeochemistry, ecology, soil science, or a closely related field is required.  The successful candidate will have a working knowledge of C, N, and P cycling processes in terrestrial ecosystems, preferably with some experience in land-use change in the tropics.  Experience with process-based, quantitative modeling is desirable.  Excellent writing and communication skills are essential.
For further information and instructions to apply visit this web page
Graduate Student Assistantship
Applications are invited for a Ph.D. student assistantship at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Appalachian Laboratory (UMCES-AL).  Funding is available for the student to conduct field measurement and modeling on CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes and decomposition of soil organic matter in forest and agricultural ecosystems.  Possibilities include on-going projects at a research forest of Maine, in agricultural fields in coastal regions of Maryland, and in forest-to-agriculture transition sites in the southern Amazon of Brazil.  Experience with either field work or modeling of soil C and N cycling is desirable.
The position comes with a competitive stipend and benefits package, including three years of support on a research assistantship, with additional support available from teaching assistantships.  Students may matriculate through the joint program between the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences Program (MEES) at the University of Maryland, College Park, and will reside at the Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg for the duration of the project.
For further information and instructions to apply visit this web page.