Robert Buitenwerf

Aarhus University is advertising a 2-year postdoc in large-herbivore ecology , trophic rewilding , and novel ecosystems , with a specific focus on alien and feral ungulates . The position is based in the Department of Biology and the Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) , a Danish National Research Foundation Center of Excellence. The project asks when and where large herbivores act as biodiversity-enhancing ecosystem engineers versus when they contribute to degradation or biotic homogenization. The research combines synthesis and field-based ecology , and may integrate biodiversity datasets, restoration datasets, ungulate trait and occurrence data, camera-trap data, GIS, remote sensing, and landscape heterogeneity indicators. Relevant themes include vegetation structure, open–closed habitat mosaics, woody vegetation dynamics, disturbance patches, dispersal processes, and multi-taxon biodiversity. Possible study systems include European restoration and rewilding landscapes and comparative systems in the Global South, such as East Africa, South Asia, South America, or southern Africa. The geographic focus will be developed with the appointed candidate. Eligibility: applicants should have a PhD in ecology, biodiversity science, conservation biology, macroecology, restoration ecology, invasion ecology, remote-sensing ecology, or a related field, or have submitted the PhD thesis before the deadline. Strong quantitative ecological skills, teamwork, publication record, and English communication skills are expected. Deadline: 28 June 2026. Start date: 1 December 2026. How to apply: submit an English application including a motivation letter with project ideas, CV, publication list, degree documentation, and references via the Aarhus University portal.