The Department of Conservation Biology at the University of Göttingen seeks highly qualified and motivated candidates for a fully funded

PhD position 

on grazing—fire—biodiversity interactions on the Eurasian steppes

(pay grade TV-L 13, 65%, three years, preferred starting date 01 November 2024).

The successful candidate will contribute substantially to the project “Towards a better understanding of pyrodiversity—biodiversity relationships” (PyroDiv), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). This project is implemented in collaboration with the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), the University of Münster and Frankfurt Zoological Society.

The goals of the project are i) to quantify change in fire and grazing patterns on the Eurasian steppe, a neglected global fire hotspot, ii) to explore, how grazing-fire interactions (‘pyric herbivory’) drive diversity in fire patterns (‘pyrodiversity’), iii) to test, how pyric herbivory and pyrodiversity shape biodiversity.

Your tasks include:

• To analyse existing and new GPS-tracking data of wild and domestic ungulates for evidence of pyric herbivory; 
• To coordinate field sampling campaigns (birds, small mammals, dung beetles, Orthoptera and plants) in Kazakhstan;
• To synthesize and analyse the collected datasets and publish peer-review papers;
• To coordinate field tandem teams of German and Kazakhstani undergraduates.

We are looking for a highly motivated, open-minded person with the following background and qualifications:

• MSc in Landscape Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Biology, Zoology, Geography, or similarly relevant fields of study;
• Strong theoretical and applied background in ecology or biogeography;
• Strong quantitative background, advanced skills in R or equivalent languages;
• Experience with the analysis of larger spatial datasets;
• Species knowledge and ecological knowledge and sampling/surveying experience of at least one group of the abovementioned animals;
• Excellent communication skills, very good English language skills in written and spoken form, confident public appearance;
• Awareness of the importance of participation, diversity, and equal opportunities.

In addition, the following skills and experiences are advantages:

• Knowledge of fire ecology or land-use science, especially in arid ecosystems;
• Experience with the analysis of animal tracking data and Bayesian hierarchical models;
• Russian or Kazakh language skills;
• Previous fieldwork in remote areas and off-road driving skills.

We offer close integration into the young and international teams of project partners and involvement into the development of new research foci in the area of fire and grazing. Göttingen is a medium-sized university town with a high quality of life. The renowned University of Göttingen offers excellent networking opportunities in the three "green" faculties of Biology, Agricultural Sciences, and Forestry.

The University of Göttingen aims to increase the proportion of women in areas where they are underrepresented and therefore strongly encourages qualified women to apply. It also sees itself as a family-friendly university and promotes the compatibility of science/profession and family. The university is particularly committed to the professional participation of severely disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from severely disabled individuals. In case of equal qualification, applications from people with disabilities will be given preference. To safeguard interests, a disability should be included in the application.

Please send your application as a combined pdf file to Ms. Andrea Lambertz (alamber@gwdg.de) by the application deadline on 15thSeptember 2024, consisting of:

• Copies of academic certificates.
• Motivation letter including relevant experiences.
• CV, incl. a publication list, if applicable.
• Contact details of two persons willing to provide a reference.

For inquiries about the job posting, please contact Prof. Dr. Johannes Kamp (johannes.kamp@uni-goettingen.de).