[Taxacom] PhD or Postdoc Position at Grenoble University (France) about functional and phylogenetic diversities in Alpine Flora

[Rolland DOUZET]

Company: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Laboratory: Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Grenoble, France

Description:  The functional Traits and Dynamic of Ecosystems (TDE) 
group is looking for a highly motivated PhD student or postdoc associate 
to take part in the ANR funded project DIVERSITALP (Forecasting the 
impacts of global changes on French Alpine Flora: distribution of 
specific, functional and phylogenetic diversities, simulations and 
conservation strategies).

Although there is now convincing evidence of ongoing climatic change and 
its impacts of life on Earth, one major limitation impeding the use of 
models for implementing sound management plans and adaptation strategies 
to forthcoming global changes is that the mechanisms structuring the 
distribution of species, functional and phylogenetic diversities are 
loosely known. This is particularly the case in Alpine ecosystem.

The PhD student or postdoc will have to investigate the mechanisms that 
shape plant community structure in the Alpine Region by quantifying the 
relative importance of niche-based processes (habitat filtering vs 
competitive exclusion) and neutral processes. To do so, mechanisms of 
plant communities' assemblage and biodiversity maintenance will be 
studied in the light of species' environmental niche (climatic, soil, 
topographic), functional traits (? and ? niche traits) and phylogenetic 
relationships. Theoretical models will have to be constructed and tested 
on existing data. Experimental studies using mesocosmes could be envisaged.

Supervision: Dr. Wilfried Thuiller and Dr. Sébastien Lavergne

Education: MSc/PhD in ecology, community and theoretical ecology or 
related discipline

Qualification: Strong background in community ecology, phylonenetic 
analyses and species co-existence models. Strong motivation for 
theoretical and applied studies. Excellent English writing skills. 
Willingness to work in a team.

Excellent knowledge of statistics and mathematics under R and Scilab 
plateforms.

Duration : 3 years for a PhD or 2 years for a Postdoc

Collaborators to the project: Dr. Nicolas Mouquet (Univ. Montpellier,  
France), Dr. David Mouillot (Univ. Montpellier, France)

Deadline for application : 15th of May 2008.

Contact person : Send your application, including CV, names of three 
reference persons and a brief statement to:

Dr. Wilfried Thuiller (wilfried.thuiller at ujf-grenoble.fr)

Dr Sébastien Lavergne (sebastien.lavergne at ujf-grenoble.fr)

Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR-CNRS 5553, Université J. Fourier

BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France

Tel: +33 (0)4 76 63 54 53

-- 
Rolland DOUZET
Station Alpine Jospeh Fourier
Université Joseph Fourier
B.P. 53
38041 Grenoble Cedex 09
FRANCE
Tél./Fax : 04 76 51 49 41
e-mail : rolland.douzet at ujf-grenoble.fr