PhD Positions: Fire Resilience of Amazon Forests at Wageningen University

Two fully funded PhD positions are available at the Forest Ecology and Forest Management Chair Group (FEM) at Wageningen University, focusing on the fire resilience of Amazonian forests in Bolivia. These positions are part of an ERC Starting Grant project led by Dr. Masha van der Sande, aiming to understand the mechanisms and impacts of fire on tropical forests. The research will be conducted in both seasonally dry Chiquitanía forests and evergreen wet Amazon forests in Bolivia, utilizing permanent plot networks and a fire experiment. PhD project 1 will investigate the mechanisms underlying forest resilience to fires, including resistance and recovery. The candidate will expand a permanent monitoring network of plots in both burned and unburned forests, across gradients of fire frequency and intensity. The project will also involve quantifying functional traits of trees that are relevant to fire resilience. Supervision will be provided by Dr. Masha van der Sande, Prof. Marielos Peña-Claros, and Dr. Peter van der Sleen. PhD project 2 will focus on the physiological and morphological impacts of fires on trees, aiming to understand how and why trees die or recover after fire events. The candidate will implement a tree-level fire experiment in both dry and wet forests, applying different fire intensity and frequency treatments to a set of 10 tree species per forest type. The project will track tree responses before, during, and after fire events for up to 1-2 years. Supervision will be provided by Dr. Masha van der Sande, Prof. Hans Cornelissen, Dr. Silvia C. Gallegos, and Prof. Lourens Poorter. Both PhD candidates are expected to conduct fieldwork in Bolivia for approximately 3 months per year during the first three years of the project. While in the Netherlands, candidates are expected to work at least four days per week from the Wageningen office. The projects offer ample opportunities for collaboration within the research group and with other project members, including a postdoc who will use the collected trait data to study fire impacts at paleo-ecological timescales. The results will also contribute to the development of a dynamic forest model to predict future fire resilience of Amazonian forests. Applicants should have a strong background in biology, ecology, environmental science, or a related field, with experience in fieldwork and a willingness to spend extended periods in Bolivia. Strong English skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team are required. The positions are fully funded, including support for fieldwork expenses. For more information and to apply, visit the Academic Transfer link provided.