<div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif">Hi everyone,</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif">Please see <span>ad</span> below for a <span>postdoc</span>
and technician position at University of New Mexico to work on newly
funded project from NSF Ecosystems with Will Pockman. Marcy Litvak, Andy
Fox and Susan Schwinning. <br></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><br>Thanks and hope everyone is having a great summer!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif">Marcy</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif">Project: <span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:107%"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:107%">This research is designed to improve our
ability to predict the impact of large numbers of trees dying in semi-arid forested
ecosystems. Forest mortality caused by drought has recently increased on every
forested continent and is now recognized as a global phenomenon. The study
focuses on piñon-juniper woodlands, the third largest biome in the U.S. In the
Southwestern US, higher temperatures and decreased precipitation have <span><span style="line-height:107%">increased drought severity, reducing tree health, and
triggering widespread regional forest mortality</span></span> across the
region.
This research is motivated by previous research showing that piñon
mortality unexpectedly
triggers one or more mechanisms that lead these woodlands to become both
hotter
and drier, potentially altering the environmental conditions that
control
future vegetation and ecosystem recovery. These surprising results
challenge
our expectations that that more water would be available for those trees
that
survived in forests following disturbance. Drought-induced mortality is
predicted to increase globally in the coming decades. This work will
contribute
key data on the specific roles of woody plants in regulating water
availability
and ecosystem services in water-limited semiarid ecosystems when large
numbers
of trees die. The modeling will provide explicit predictions of biomes
that are
vulnerable, or likely to be vulnerable, as climate changes, and key
environmental factors that increase that vulnerability. We are looking
for one postdoctoral researcher and one research technician to start as
soon as possible. The positions will both be based out of University
of New Mexico, but will require several days spent each week at the
field site. <br></span></span></div><p style="margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:14.4px;line-height:25.92px"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><strong><br></strong></span></p><p style="margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:14.4px;line-height:25.92px"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><strong>P<span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">ostdoctoral Required qualifications:</span></strong><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"> Ph.D.,
at time of appointment, in Plant Physiological Ecology, Ecosystem
Ecology, Earth System Science, Forest Hydrology, or a related field.
Excellent mathematical and spoken and written English language skills
required. Knowledge and understanding of plant physiological processes
and soil moisture dynamics is preferred and experience with hydrologic
partitioning in arid-land ecosystems is a plus. Preferred
qualifications: Experience measuring or modeling sap flux, soil water
dynamics, and/or mechanistic modeling of plant physiological processes,
especially in regard to plant and soil hydraulic function and site
hydrology, and experience with: field or laboratory manipulations of
plant- soil systems, modeling and large datasets, and fluency in an
analysis environment such as R, Matlab, or Python.</span> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:14.4px;line-height:25.92px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><strong>Inquiries and applications</strong> (cover
letter, CV, and the names and contact information for a minimum of 3
references) should be directed to Dr. Marcy Litvak (<a href="mailto:mlitvak@unm.edu" style="color:rgb(91,143,190);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">mlitvak@unm.edu</a>) or Dr. William Pockman (<a href="mailto:pockman@unm.edu" style="color:rgb(91,143,190);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">pockman@unm.edu</a>). Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Ability to start by July 2016 strongly preferred.</span></p><p style="margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:14.4px;line-height:25.92px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><b>------------------------------------------------------------<br></b></span></p><p style="margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:14.4px;line-height:25.92px"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><b>Research Technician job duties/qualifications: </b><br></span></p><p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Successful candidate will be responsible for the
installation and day-to-day operation of instrumentation in a piñon-juniper
woodland located within 3 hours of Albuquerque, New Mexico.<span> </span>The research involves girdling either piñon
or juniper to assess the mechanisms controlling the site response following
mortality, with particular emphasis on the changes in plant and soil water
status.<span> </span>The successful candidate will
participate in establishing the research plots, installing instrumentation to
gather pre-treatment data, implementation of the treatments and post-treatment
measurements.<span> </span>Once the site is fully
instrumented, the candidate will maintain all systems and will work with
postdoctoral and graduate researchers to make field measurements associated
with this project, including measurements of plant growth, physiology and water
relations, and soil moisture content. The candidate will participate in data
management, data analysis, and the preparation of peer-reviewed publications of
research findings. Preference will be given to someone with demonstrated proficiency: in:</span></p><p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">1)
heat ratio sapflow methods, measurement of plant water potential, 2)
datalogger programming; 3) repair and maintenance of experimental
infrastructure; 4) operating and maintaining solar powered systems; 5)
managing, summarizing and analyzing field and laboratory data,
particularly large data sets; 6) supervision of students in field
settings and 7) ability to work long hours in the field when necessary <br></span></p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">
</span><p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Successful candidate will be responsible for the
installation and day-to-day operation of instrumentation in a piñon-juniper
woodland located within 3 hours of Albuquerque, New Mexico.<span> </span>The research involves girdling either piñon
or juniper to assess the mechanisms controlling the site response following
mortality, with particular emphasis on the changes in plant and soil water
status.<span> </span>The successful candidate will
participate in establishing the research plots, installing instrumentation to
gather pre-treatment data, implementation of the treatments and post-treatment
measurements.<span> </span>Once the site is fully
instrumented, the candidate will maintain all systems and will work with
postdoctoral and graduate researchers to make field measurements associated
with this project, including measurements of plant growth, physiology and water
relations, and soil moisture content. The candidate will participate in data
management, data analysis, and the preparation of peer-reviewed publications of
research findings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Please apply at UNM jobs. Research Scientist 1 job posting 0834545
</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"><a href="https://unmjobs.unm.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1465994766531" target="_blank">https://unmjobs.unm.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1465994766531</a></span></p><p style="margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-size:14.4px;line-height:25.92px"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Any questions should be directed to Dr. Marcy Litvak (<a href="mailto:mlitvak@unm.edu" style="color:rgb(91,143,190);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">mlitvak@unm.edu</a>) or Dr. William Pockman (<a href="mailto:pockman@unm.edu" style="color:rgb(91,143,190);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">pockman@unm.edu</a>). Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Ability to start by July 2016 strongly preferred.</span></span></p><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr">Marcy Litvak<br>Associate Professor <br>Biology Department 505-277-5580 work<br>University of New Mexico 505-277-0304 fax<br><br><br><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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