Rupert Seidl

The Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group at the TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, is offering a PhD position in the field of forest management. The group investigates how forests change over time and space, quantifying these changes, identifying their causes, and describing their impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Research methods include empirical studies, remote sensing, and simulation modeling, with a focus on developing robust management concepts for sustainable ecosystem service provisioning and maintaining ecosystem integrity in a changing world. The PhD project centers on the effect of beta-diversity on forest resilience to disturbance. The successful candidate will explore whether increasing beta-diversity in forest landscapes can enhance resilience to current and future disturbances and assess implications for ecosystem service supply. The main methodological approach will be forest landscape simulation modeling using the iLand model. The work is part of the BETA-FOR project and involves close collaboration with the Forest Economics and Sustainable Land-use Planning group at the University of Göttingen. Key tasks include compiling data for model simulations, evaluating models against independent data sources, developing management strategies to increase beta diversity, assessing the effects of beta diversity on disturbance resilience, quantifying climate change impacts, and preparing information for economic analyses. The candidate will also publish peer-reviewed papers and communicate research findings at scientific conferences and stakeholder meetings. The position offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic and international research group at the forefront of ecosystem science. It is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and provides a 65% employment (26 hours per week) in remuneration group TV-L E13 for 3.5 years. The place of employment is the TUM School of Life Sciences in Freising, Germany. Severely handicapped persons will be given preference in case of equal qualification, and applications from women are expressly welcomed. Applicants should have completed master studies in forestry, ecosystem management, simulation modeling, or related fields. Essential qualifications include interest in forest diversity and resilience, knowledge of ecosystem service provisioning, strong quantitative skills with a focus on simulation modeling, good communication skills, and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team. To apply, send your application as a single PDF file (including CV and motivation letter) to [email protected] and fill in the required application form. The deadline for applications is May 5th, 2026. For questions about the position, contact Prof. Rupert Seidl at [email protected]. More information about the group and project can be found at https://www.edfm.ls.tum.de/ and https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/for5375/ .