The French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (Cirad) is recruiting a tropical rainforest research ecologist, in charge of the scientific management of the Paracou station. This station is constituted of a long-term disturbance experiment which, for the past 30 years, has investigated and modelled the impact of logging on the goods and services produced by tropical rainforest ecosystems, in a context of climate change. The station is integrated into international renewed scientific networks.
Reference to remind : 2480
Publication date : 20/06/2016
Ending date : 21/08/2016
Type of contract : Permanent
Beginning date : As soon as possible
Position description
The focus of the research will be the consequences of global change on the ecosystem processes and services provided by tropical rainforests. Integrated into the Ecology of the Forests of French Guiana UMR (Joint Research Unit), the researcher will:
Quantify and model the evolution over time and space of key ecosystem services during forest rotations so as to identify optimal trajectories combining production of goods with maintenance of key environmental services in the Amazon;
Propose improvements in forestry practices and pre- and post-logging diagnostic tools with a view to the diversification of harvested species and ecological intensification through forestry;
Test the demographic vulnerability of the Amazon’s major commercial species in relation to climatic stress to integrate the climate issue into forest management strategies.
The researcher will coordinate the research team on “ecosystem processes and services”, define the Paracou Station’s scientific policy within the TmFO network and international networks, manage and enhance the databases produced.
He/she will coordinate the team in charge of the station (engineers and technicians, approximately 10 people).
Place: Kourou, French Guiana, after a 3 to 6 month period in mainland France.
Qualifications:
PhD in environmental science, ecological science or forestry science.
Skills:
Community ecology in tropical rainforests;
Environmental science modelling, data analysis;
Forestry science, tropical forestry;
Fluent in English, French and/or Portuguese desirable.
Experience:
Setting up scientific projects and funding research;
Management of a technical team and coordination of a research group;
Supervision of doctoral and other students.
Position constraints:
Frequent missions to South America.
Deep forest missions.
Equatorial climate.