Postdoc Opportunity: USGS Climate Impacts Scientist Postdoctoral Fellowship on Southeastern Rare Plants

[Tina Stanley]

The Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center is hiring a post-doctoral associate to develop climate-change impacts information for rare plants of the southeastern U.S. Apply by December 30th. Position announcement is here: https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USGS-2022-20

USGS Climate Impacts Scientist Postdoctoral Fellowship on Southeastern Rare Plants

The Post-Doctoral Associate will work closely with the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center and the Southeast Plant Conservation Alliance to develop climate-impacts information for subsets of plant species from the forthcoming Southeastern Plants Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN), which will be the nation’s first regional SGCN for plants. This regional list of rare and threatened plant species will provide an important resource to state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, and researchers focused on rare-plant conservation.

The Post-Doctoral Associate will develop climate-impacts information both at the level of species and for ecosystems. For subsets of species, the Post-Doctoral Associate will compile information on existing index-based vulnerability assessments (e.g., CCVI) as well as climatic niche models. At the level of ecosystems, the Post-Doctoral Associate will work with colleagues at NatureServe, USGS, Atlanta Botanical Garden, and with botanists and ecosystem experts from other institutions, to select southeastern ecosystems that provide habitat to relatively large numbers of RSGCN plants. For these selected ecosystems, the Post-Doctoral Associate will use existing downscaled climate projections to produce climate-impacts summaries, which will take the form of brief, user-friendly narrative summaries of how climate change may impact habitat viability for rare plant species, as well as highlight potential adaptation actions that natural-resource managers may want to consider.

This one-year position is expected to run from February 2023 through January 2024 (or as negotiated), with highly competitive salary and an additional benefits package and funding for travel. The Post-Doctoral Associate will have the option to work remotely, with regular virtual communication with the larger project team. Two to four travel engagements will be required to meet in person and deliver preliminary findings at meetings and/or conferences. Although preference will be given to applicants with strong knowledge of and familiarity with species, ecosystems, and landscapes of the southeastern U.S., the Post-Doctoral Associate may be physically located anywhere in the United States.

The successful applicant will possess: (1) excellent writing skills, including the ability to translate complex scientific concepts into easily understandable narrative text, (2) familiarity with a variety of wetland and terrestrial ecosystems of the southeastern United States, including factors that affect plant-habitat viability, (3) basic understanding of plant physiology related to environmental conditions, and (4) understanding of downscaled climate models and their associated forms of uncertainty.

Link for more information and to apply: https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USGS-2022-20

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