An ecologist position is available at the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center located in Moab, UT. The successful candidate will work on a collaborative project examining how climate change and livestock grazing affect soils, plants, and nutrient cycles of the Colorado Plateau. This project includes analysis of existing vegetation survey and experimental data, and implementation of a new precipitation manipulation experiment. Within the framework of this large, USGS-funded study, this position will: 1) oversee treatments and manage technicians helping with data collection, 2) synthesize data to explore patterns of climate change linkages to ecosystem function, 3) effectively use statistical analyses to assess effects, and 4) communicate results in presentations and peer-reviewed publications.
This position offers an exciting opportunity to elucidate how climate change predicted to be notably strong on the Colorado Plateau – will affect the plants, soils, and ecosystem function of the region, and how grazing strategies may exacerbate or alleviate those stresses.
Specifically, this position will focus on
how treatments affect plant cover, physiology (e.g., gas exchange, water potential), and phenology
explore how plant-soil-grazing interactions are likely to change under a drier climate.
A Ph.D. degree and a background in field methods in ecology and/or plant physiology is preferred. Moab, UT is a small town offering a variety of outdoor adventures, and more information about Moab can be found here.
Starting salary is $51,440/year plus full benefits. Preferred start date is September 2019. Position is expected to last 2 years with potential 2-year extension. Applicants must be US citizens and apply through USAjobs.gov starting May 6.
Interested individuals are encouraged share a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and three references to crs_jobs@usgs.gov prior to applying on USAjobs.
