Position in the
NorSCAPE Project: "Norway Spruce in a Changing Climate: Adaptation, Acclimation, and Physiological Responses for Resilient Forests in Europe" for 2 years, with possibility of extension.This project is in collaboration with the COSTAction CLEANFOREST.
Norway spruce (Picea abies) is a cornerstone of Europe's forests and forestry sector, facing increasing challenges from climate change. This position offers the exciting opportunity to join the NorSCAPE project, which aims to disentangle the physiological mechanisms underpinning resilience and vulnerability across its distribution range. In collaboration with international partners and the ETH team, your role in this project will involve research on the adaptation and acclimation potential of spruce, using tree-ring analysis, stable isotope measurements across forests and provenance trials, to inform forest management and policy under global change. This project will be carried out in close collaboration with the WSL and the Stable Isotope Research Laboratory in Birmensdorf.
Job description - Coordinate field sampling and experimental activities across international networks.
- Lead dendrochronological and stable isotope analyses to assess growth, water-use efficiency, and physiological acclimation in Norway spruce.
- Analyse intra-annual growth and isotopic signals in relation to drought and environmental gradients.
- Collaborate with European partners to support the integration of NorSCAPE in ongoing projects (e.g. OptFOREST network).
- Prepare innovative manuscripts and present results at international conferences.
- Support the mentoring and training of students at ETH.
- Contribute to activities associated with the COSTAction.
Profile - PhD in forest ecology, plant physiology, environmental sciences, or a related field.
- Strong background in dendrochronology, stable isotope analysis, or ecophysiology.
- Demonstrated experience with ecological datasets, statistical analysis, and/or provenance trial experiments.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and collaborative skills within international, multidisciplinary networks.
- Willingness to travel for fieldwork across Europe.
- You are curious, self-motivated, and enjoy collaborating closely with your team.
- Strong communication skills in English and a commitment to open and collaborative research are essential.
We offerAt the chair of forest ecology, in the group of forest growth and global change, we offer:
- A dynamic, supportive, and interdisciplinary research environment.
- The opportunity to contribute to international efforts shaping the future of European forests.
- Mentorship from leading scientists and collaboration with an extensive European research network.
- Close collaboration with the WSL and the Stable Isotope Research Laboratory.
- Your job with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society
- You can expect numerous benefits , such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ , childcare and attractive pension benefits
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