Postdoctoral Researcher in Remote Sensing of Forests and Climate Risk Assessment at Mgeo

Lunds Universitet · plný úvazek

Sölvegatan 12, Lund, Švédsko

Special Subject Description Sweden's forests face increasing climate-related pressures in the form of intensified drought, more frequent and damaging storms, and associated risks such as bark beetle infestations. Forest owners and regional authorities need current and spatially detailed information about where climate stress occurs and which forest stands are most vulnerable. However, current monitoring relies largely on field inspections and broad regional assessments, which are often too slow or limited to serve as operational decision-making tools. The Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences is announcing a postdoctoral position within a project aimed at meeting this need. The project's goal is to develop an operational, web-based service that uses satellite observations from Landsat and Sentinel, tree species maps, forest structure data, and climate indicators for continuous assessment of climate risks in Sweden's forests. The service will provide tree species-specific maps of drought stress, a risk index for storm exposure, and indicators of susceptibility to bark beetle infestations. The service is being developed in collaboration with regional authorities and forest owner associations. The project will also investigate the spatial and temporal mechanisms linking windthrow, drought, and bark beetle infestations and establish the scientific foundation for the service. Duties The primary responsibilities within a postdoctoral position involve conducting research. Teaching may also be included depending on how the postdoctoral project progresses, but must not exceed 20 percent of working time. In connection with this, the opportunity is provided to complete three weeks of university-level pedagogical training. The postdoctoral researcher will: Develop and maintain harmonized time series datasets from Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellites and integrate these with complementary data, including airborne lidar, tree species maps, and gridded climate data. Produce spatially explicit climate risk layers, including tree species-specific maps of drought stress, a risk index for storm exposure, and indicators of susceptibility to bark beetle infestations. Contribute to the development of an operational web-based monitoring service, including automated update workflows and a web-based GIS dashboard for users. Investigate which forest, landscape, and climate conditions affect sensitivity to storm damage, using major storm events as natural experiments and employing interpretable machine learning and deep learning models. Publish research results in high-quality international scientific journals. At least two scientific articles are expected. Qualifications Employment as a postdoctoral researcher at Lund University requires a doctoral degree, or a foreign degree assessed as equivalent to a doctoral degree, within a subject area relevant to the position. The degree must have been completed no more than three years before the date of the employment decision. If there are special circumstances, the doctoral degree may have been completed earlier. Evaluation Criteria This is a merit-based position primarily focused on research. The position is intended as an initial step in a research career, and evaluation of candidates will primarily be based on their scientific merits and potential as researchers. Particular emphasis will be placed on scientific expertise within the subject area. When hiring a postdoctoral researcher, the following shall form the basis for evaluation: Quantitative remote sensing, including optical and radar data. Plant ecology, particularly with a focus on forest ecosystems. Computer programming. Data analysis, including machine learning, statistics, numerical analysis, and time series analysis. Quantitative methods in remote sensing of vegetation, such as spectral mixture analysis. Additional Merits Experience in web-GIS development or visualization of geospatial data. Experience with high-performance computing clusters or cloud-based platforms for Earth observation, such as GEE Python API. Experience in processing airborne lidar data and modeling of canopy height. Great emphasis will be placed on both technical competence and personal suitability. Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, ability to communicate research clearly, and how the applicant's experience and expertise complement and strengthen ongoing research at the department and contribute to its future development. Terms The position is full-time and limited to two years, with the possibility of extension. The employment period is determined in accordance with the Agreement on Fixed-Term Employment as a Postdoctoral Researcher between Lund University, SACO-S, and OFR/S, dated February 1, 2022. Start Date: As soon as possible or by agreement. Application Instructions The application must be written in English and contain the following: A personal letter of no more than two pages describing (1) why you are interested in the position, (2) how you would contribute to the project, and (3) why you are a good candidate. CV including publication list. Copy of your doctoral degree diploma and any other certificates or grades you wish to provide. Contact information for two references. Incomplete applications will not be considered. We welcome your application! At the Faculty of Science, research and education are conducted in astronomy, biology, physics, geosciences, chemistry, mathematics, medical radiation physics, environmental science, and physical geography. Activities are conducted in the northern university area. The faculty has approximately 1,900 students, 330 doctoral students, and 730 employees. We decline all contact from advertising sales representatives, recruitment agencies, and staffing companies due to government procurement regulations.