The Georg-August-University Göttingen is currently inviting applications for 11 PhD Positions (f, m, d) in the Research Training Group (RTG) 2300 ‘Enrichment of European beech forests with conifers: impacts of functional traits on ecosystem functioning’. The positions will start on January 1, 2021. The positions are funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) for 3 years.
About the positions:
- The PhD students enrolled in this program investigate ecological challenges and societal demands on forests in a changing climate.
- The program focuses on European temperate forests. A central goal is to uncover the impact of mixed compared to monospecific forests on ecosystem functions and processes with a special focus on the importance of functional traits.
- The research approaches involve field studies in European beech, Norway spruce and Douglas fir forests and their mixtures, experimental studies to uncover cause-effect relationships, and statistical as well as economic analyses.
The following research groups are offering PhD projects:
- Silviculture
- Tree physiology (mycorrhiza)
- Plant ecology
- Soil sciences
- Animal ecology
- Wildlife sciences
- Forest nature conservation
- Forest modeling
- Forest economics
- Spatial forest structures
- Applied statistics
Requirements:
- Applicants must have completed their MSc or equivalent university degree in a subject area relevant for the RTG2300 program
- Applicants must be fluent in English and motivated to learn some German
- Applicants must be eager to conduct field work
- Applicants must have keen interest to collaborate and share data with their PhD colleagues
Applications:
Apply online (compiled as one pdf document) and application must include the following:
- CV including information on posters, presentations, awards and publication list, if applicable
- Motivation letter for the preferred project(s) (maximum 1 page), list up to three projects
- Certificates of studies (if a degree is not yet completed you may also provide a document listing current grades)
- 02 references (name and contact information of two senior researchers)
- Summary of MA thesis and if applicable one publication
Subprojects offering PhD positions
Subproject 1: ‘Root distribution, water uptake and growth responses’
Subproject 2: ‘Tree water relations and drought response’
Subproject 3: ‘Nutrient uptake and efficiency’
Subproject 4: ‘Ectomycorrhizal Functions for Tree Nutrition’
Subproject 5: ‘Decomposer community structure and decomposition processes’
Subproject 6: ‘Arthropod diversity and functioning in mixed versus pure stands’
Subproject 7: ‘Effects of small mammal communities on seed predation and seed dispersal’
Subproject 9: ‘Predicting structural changes and growth in pure and mixed stands of European beech, Norway spruce, and Douglas-fir’
Subproject 10: ‘Bayesian Semiparametric Regression’
Subproject 12: ‘Economic implications of species mixture and structural diversity in European beech stands enriched with coniferous trees’
Subproject 13: ‘Architectural traits of trees in response to different neighborhoods and their importance for stand structural characteristics’
—————–Quick Overview————- | |
Organization | Georg-August-University Göttingen |
Country | Germany |
Fellowship Level | Germany |
Subject areas | Ecology, Soil Sciences, Economy, Forest Conservation |
Fellowship amount | Funded |
Eligibility | Open to all nationalities |
Deadline | August 2, 2020 |
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