We are seeking three new Post-doctoral researchers to join the Forest Vegetation Ecology research group in Umeå, Sweden (https://www.slu.se/en/departments/forest-ecology-management/forskning/forest-vegetation-ecology/).  The positions may focus on a range of research topics, including, but not necessarily limited to:

1)      Biological nitrogen fixation in boreal forests, with a focus on the sensitivity of this process to climate change factors.  This theme will be supervised by Michael Gundale (https://www.slu.se/cv/michael-gundale/) and Marie-Charlotte Nilsson (https://www.slu.se/cv/marie-charlotte-nilsson-hegethorn1/).  

2)      Impacts of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on ecosystem properties and processes in boreal forests, such as plant communities or soil carbon accumulation processes.   This theme will be supervised by Michael Gundale and Annika Nordin (https://www.slu.se/cv/annika-nordin2/). 

3)      Ecosystem genetics in boreal forests.  In this theme we are interested in understanding how genetic variation within or between populations (for example as a result of breeding programs) impact forest ecosystem properties or processes; or, in identifying genetic differences that occur between native and introduced populations of a species.  This theme will be supervised by Michael Gundale and Petter Axelsson (https://www.slu.se/cv/petter-axelsson/).

The post-doc will be encouraged to develop either of two types of research activities:

1)      Original research involving field, lab, or greenhouse experiments.

2)      Develop review and/or meta-analysis articles. 

The department supports an international environment in terms of both research and teaching, and has about 90 staff members.  Our mission at the Department of Forest Ecology and Management is to advance the understanding of forest ecosystem processes and to progress the principles of forest ecosystem management.  For more information visit: www.slu.se/en/departments/forest-ecology-management/

Qualifications:  We seek highly motivated individuals with good communication skills in English, both written and verbal, and a strong work ethic.  We seek group members who are capable of developing scientific publications targeted towards international journals.  The applicant should provide evidence for their capacity to do this in their CV and/or cover letter.   We also seek someone with good interpersonal skills, who can work in both a team context and independently.  We are searching for someone with a PhD in an Ecology or Applied Ecology related field, with emphasis in subjects such as plant community ecology, soil ecology, biogeochemistry, ecosystem science, community and ecosystem genetics, and/or forestry.  Previous research experience measuring soil properties and processes, plant community variables (e.g. composition, traits, plant physiological response, etc.) and/or plant extended phenotypes is desirable. 

Competence:  As postdoctoral scholarships are career-developing positions for junior researchers, we are primarily looking for candidates who have earned their doctoral degree within four years at the most.    

Place of work: Umeå

The city of Umeå is the largest city in Northern Sweden, with approximately 120,000 inhabitants.  Umeå is a vibrant cultural hub of northern Sweden, and was even designated a culture capital of Europe in 2014.  The city houses two Universities (Umeå University and SLU), with over 30,000 students in Umeå.  Umeå also has a well-developed sports, music, and outdoor recreation scene.   

Form of employment: The positions are funded as research stipends paid bi-annually over two years from the Kempe Foundation.  The stipend equates to 25,000 kr (Swedish kronor) per month tax free.  For more information about stipend positions, please inquire with Michael Gundale (Michael.Gundale@slu.se). 

Extent: 100%

Starting date: The specific starting date is flexible, but must start no later than February 2020.

Application:  Send your cover letter, CV and reference list as a single file to Michael Gundale (Michael.Gundale@slu.se).  Review of applications will begin after August 30 2019; however, the announcement will remain open until suitable candidates are found. 

Specific documents attached:  The application should contain the following two items written in English: 1) a cover letter describing yourself, your motivation for applying for the position, and a short description of what you want to work on during the post doc position, and why; 2) a CV describing your education, publications, and relevant work experience; and 3) a list of names and contact information for three references. Please merge these 3 parts into a single PDF file, with your name used as the file name.    

Our annual StandUp-seminar with 4-minute presentations will take place in the FEM fika-room Friday, June 1 at 14.30-. Afterwards, we will have a pub and more discussions. 

 Very simple instructions:

1) Four minutes – no more and no exceptions!

2) Give a broad presentation which can be understood by anyone at the department! Avoid details, complex graphs, internal scientific language and already done research. Talk about exciting ideas, coming fieldwork, new teaching methods, fantastic equipment in our lab etc. 

3) All staff categories; PhD-students, Post-doc’s, teachers, researchers, technicians, administrators welcome to sign up. 

Ph.D. course, 3 cr., 14-18 May 2018, SLU Umeå, Sweden

Stable isotopes are safe, powerful, and omnipresent. Differences in their natural abundance can often be interpreted as ecological or physiological signals. Labeling experiments can lead to even stronger inferences. But designing such experiments and interpreting their results requires a bit of training. From the arcane terminology to the models we use to make inferences, there are thresholds that need to be crossed. This course is designed to help.

It is aimed at Ph.D. students working in ecology and hydrology. The instructors are a group of established researchers in the fields of ecosystem ecology, watershed hydrology, and plant physiological ecology.  Although the topics are general, many of the examples will be drawn from forested landscapes at high latitudes.

The distinctive features of this course are its instructors, its emphasis on a common set of simple spreadsheet calculations, its exposure to advanced instrumentation, and its location in beautiful Umeå, northern Sweden. If you are interested or you need more information, please contact john.marshall@slu.se

Upcoming FEM Outreach & Research Implementation Seminars

Wednesday, February 28, 14:30

Speaker: Lenka Kuglerova

Title: Riparian buffer management: Current practices and ways forward

Wednesday, March 21, 14:30

Speaker: Torgny Näsholm

Title: What conifer seedlings wants and how I accidentally found out how to provide it
 

Wednesday, March 28, 14:30

Speaker: Aida Bargués Tobella

Title: Research can change the big player's policy recommendations: The paradigm on trees and water revisited. 
 

Wednesday, April 18, 14:30

Speaker: Malin Brännström

Title: Forestry and reindeer herding on the same land – legal aspects and applications
 

Wednesday, April 25, 14:30

Speaker: Lars Östlund

Title: Girjas Sami village vs the Swedish State: historical land-use research brought into Swedish courts
 

Wednesday, May 16, 14:30

Speaker: Gert Nyberg

Title: Interaction with local land use policy makers in Kenya.

Our annual StandUp-seminar with 4-minute presentations will take place in the FEM fika-room Friday, May 12 at 14.30-. Afterwards, we will have a pub and more discussions. 

 Very simple instructions:

1) Four minutes – no more and no exceptions!

2) Give a broad presentation which can be understood by anyone at the department! Avoid details, complex graphs, internal scientific language and already done research. Talk about exciting ideas, coming fieldwork, new teaching methods, fantastic equipment in our lab etc. 

3) All staff categories; PhD-students, Post-doc’s, teachers, researchers, technicians, administrators welcome to sign up. 

How to make scientific research more transformative?

Forest Ecology and Management (FEM) Seminar March 22, at 14:30-15:30 in the FEM Fika room on the fourth floor in the SLU building.

This seminar will be a thematic seminar as part of the FEM Seminar Series Anniversary 2017 .  It is possible to follow the seminar also remotely via AdobeConnect: https://connect.sunet.se/fem-seminar-2017-03-22/  

Speaker: Professor emeritus Gunnar Öquist, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, Sweden  

Abstract:
In my talk I will as an introduction refer to some bibliometrics analyses comparing the publication impact of Swedish research with some other nations that perform at a higher level. I will then discuss how Swedish research can be strengthened and finally I will highlight requirements for making Swedish research more transformative in terms of new discoveries to open up for new, often unforeseen opportunities. In my talk I will also ask the question if the latest research bill to Riksdagen will be instrumental to strengthen the impact of Swedish research internationally.

Time: Wednesday 22 Mars, 10.00 - 14.30

Location: SLU Umeå   P.O Bäckströms sal

Understanding what determines the size of forestry C stocks and their components, and the

processes and controls on the exchanges of carbon dioxide (CO2) in forests, is critical in assisting

the forestry sector to contribute to reducing anthropogenic climate change.

The objective of this seminar is to provide that understanding by summarising key information on

C stocks and fluxes in Sweden’s forests and how these are affected by changes as tree stands grow,

and by forest management decisions and forestry operations. The seminar also aims to highlight

evidence gaps and limitations in the available information and consequent future research needs

and directions.

The program in short;

10.00 Short introduction and opening of the seminar – professor Tomas Lundmark

10.10 Carbon balance and its compartmental fluxes - professor John Marshall

10.40 Carbon balance at the stand scale and the role of silviculture – professor Anders Lindroth

11.10 Flakaliden- carbon sink to carbon source– researcher David Hadden

11.35 Carbon balance at the landscape scale – researcher Matthias Peichl

1200-1300 Lunch

1300 Carbon balance at the regional and national scale – researchers Hans Petersson/

Mattias Lundblad

1330-1420 Discussion

1420 Closing remarks - professor Tomas Lundmark

Tid: 22 Mars kl 10.00 - 14.30

Plats: SLU Umeå  OBS! Ny lokal: P.O Bäckströms sal

Arrangör: Future Forests

Kontakt och mer information:

Professor Tomas Lundmark, tomas.lundmark@slu.se, 070-6317412

Kommunikatör Annika Mossing, annika.mossing@slu.se, 0727-103944 

FEM Seminar Series Anniversary 2017

Forest Ecology and Management (FEM) Seminar Series Jan 18 at 14:30 in the FEM Fika room on the fourth floor in the SLU building. 

Today's seminar is a thematic seminar as part of the FEM Seminar Series Anniversary 2017 .

It is possible to follow the seminar also remotely via AdobeConnect: https://connect.sunet.se/fem-seminar-2017-01-18/

Title: Research Ethics

Speakers:

Prof. Em. Jan-Erik Hällgren, SLU, Dept. of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, formerly Dean at the Faculty of Forest Sciences

Prof. Em. Inge-Bert Täljedal, Umeå University, Dept. of Integrative Medical Biology, formerly Vice Chancellor

Abstract

The importance of ethics in research is being increasingly discussed in the society. The topic is vast, comprising inter alia as diverse themes as for example:

·         the rights and integrity of objects of investigation (people, society, animals, natural environment); honesty in the production, interpretation and publication of results

·         collegial relationships; the interaction with commercial firms and ideologically motivated organisations

·         the criteria for authorship and non-authorship

Touching only briefly on overall ethical aspects, the introductions will focus on authorship criteria, collegial relationships, and the risk for bias in the cooperation with commercial interests.

Other topics can also be discussed at the discretion of the seminar participants.

5-day intensive course (3 credits) for PhD-students & post-docs

Successful Partnerships between Academia and Industry in Plant Protection

13th–17th November 2017

Location: Skåne (Alnarp)

Students will work closely with industry experts, gaining practical experience of R & D and problem solving in industry.

 Application: Apply by 31st of March 2017. Only 20 places are available on a first comes first serves bases.

 More information: www.slu.se/platformplantprotection/phd-course-2017 

Course organisers: Laura.Grenville.Briggs@slu.se; Margareta.Hokeberg@slu.se