There is growing evidence that headwater stream ecosystems are especially
vulnerable to changing climate and land use, but their conservation is
challenged by the need to address the threats at a landscape scale, often
through coordination with multiple management agencies and landowners. This
project seeks to provide an example of cooperative landscape
decision-making to address the conservation of headwater stream ecosystems
in the face of climate change.
The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, in collaboration with the
Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University
of Massachusetts, and the Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory, seeks a
postdoctoral research associate to facilitate a structured decision making
process at the HUC-4 watershed scale, with multiple management agencies, to
frame their decision contexts in headwater stream conservation. Using this
framing, the postdoc will develop decision-support tools, including
predictive models of headwater stream habitat and species response, that
agencies can use to design long-term management strategies, taking account
of climate change and its uncertainty. In each of the HUC-4 watersheds
(Potomac River Watershed, Merrimack River Watershed), we will work with
management partners (USFWS, NPS, USFS) in a framework that mimics an LCC,
but at a smaller scale.
The successful applicant will be based primarily at the Conte Anadromous
Fish Laboratory in Turners Falls, MA, with periodic travel to Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. Preferred start date is Fall
2013.
Project leaders:
Evan Grant, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Conte Anadromous Fish
Laboratory, Turners Falls, MA
Mike Runge, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
Ben Letcher, USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory, Turners Falls, MA
Allison Roy, Assistant Unit Leader and Research Assistant Professor, USGS,
Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Amherst, MA
Qualifications:
Competitive candidates will also have one or more of the following
qualifications: have a background in structured decision making and/or
adaptive management, previous experience leading a collaborative research
project, or skills in modeling, estimation, and optimization. The
successful candidate will also have excellent writing and personal
communication skills. Applicants are expected to have earned a Ph.D. degree
in a relevant discipline, preferably within the last 5 years.
Benefits:
Salary and benefits as a University of Massachusetts employee is
competitive, with support available for 2 years. Travel funds will be
provided to support visits with study team members and outside cooperators,
to attend regional workshops during model development, and to attend
professional conferences.
Application:
Send a letter describing your background and experiences as they relate to
this position, and a CV with names and contact information for three
references to Evan Grant (ehgrant@usgs.gov). We encourage applicants to
send the above by 30 August 2013.
--
Evan H. Campbell Grant, PhD
NE Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
NOTE NEW ADDRESS and PHONE:
Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory, 1 Migratory Way, Turners Falls MA 01376
phone (413)863-2462 fax: (413) 863-9810
http://profile.usgs.gov/
