PostDoc in Soil Function Assessment 80-100% (f / m / d)

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL is part of the ETH Domain. Approximately 600 people work on the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on the handling of natural hazards.

The Research Unit Forest and Soil Ecology investigates the functions of forests and soils under global environmental change. The group Soil Functions and Dynamics within the Unit is offering a 2-year  position as a

PostDoc in Soil Function Assessment 80-100% (f / m / d)

Forest soils perform various functions such as nutrient provision, carbon storage, and water filtration, which are essential to overall ecosystem functioning, especially in light of climate change. Assessing soil functions relies on field investigations; however, these have to be complemented with Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) approaches to provide meaningful soil information across scales. In this project, you will leverage the large soil database (>

2000 profiles) hosted by the Soil Functions and Dynamics group, along with soil spatial modeling techniques, to assess soil functioning in Swiss forests. You will evaluate changes in soil properties over time and across spatial gradients, and provide interpretations for soil functioning. You will also specifically investigate the provision of nutrients coupled with vegetation data, using indicators such as base saturation (BS%) to infer nutrient status and acidification risk. As part of a team, you will communicate the results to the stakeholders and the scientific community via meetings, presentations, and publications. You hold a doctorate in soil science, environmental science, or geography, and have a fundamental understanding of physical and chemical processes in soils. You have experience with geospatial modeling and are proficient in a programming language relevant to data analysis (ideally R). Additionally, you demonstrate strong communication skills (oral and written), evidenced by a record of publication and presentation. Fluency in written and spoken English is essential; knowledge of German is highly valued.