The Department of Species Interaction Ecology offers a PhD position within the project "Climate niches and species immigration in grasslands under global change". The aims of this project are to investigate i) the role of climate niches for species response to experimental future climate and ii) how demography and functional traits may explain the establishment success of immigrating plant species into grasslands of different land-use intensity exposed to climate change. The PhD researcher will work in the large experimental platform Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF), where future climate is simulated in grasslands managed with different land-use intensity. The candidate will have the opportunity to use already existing data from the grasslands of the GCEF to ask whether the climate niche of species predicts performance in future climate. Further, the candidate will establish a novel seed-addition experiment and quantify if functional traits explain establishment success in experimental treatments. The project will be supervised by Dr. Lotte Korell and is in close cooperation with PD Dr. Christiane Roscher and Prof. Isabell Hensen. Your tasks ? Independent planning and implementation of fieldwork in theGCEF ? Data sampling of functional traits, plant demography and plant community variables ? Determining species? climate niches and linking them to plant responses ? Statistical analyses of the effects of experimental treatments on plant responses based on your own measurements and existing data ? Writing and publishing papers in peer-reviewed international journals ? Presenting results at national and international conferences Your profile ? Master of Science in ecology, botany or related field ? Interest and, preferably, practical experience in ecologicalfield research ? Solid knowledge of vascular plant species and plant morphology ? Experience in the field of plant demography and population dynamics is an asset ? Expertise in statistical data analyses (preferentially using R) is expected ? Strong organizational skills ? Very good skills in communication/ English language skills ? Ability and motivation to work in an international environment Deadline for application: 31 March, 2024 Please use the following link to get more information about the position and how to apply: https://recruitingapp-5128.de.umantis.com/Vacancies/2904/Description/2 Dr. Lotte Korell Postdoc at Department Species Interaction Ecology (SIE) Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4 / 06120 Halle / Germany Telefon +49 341 6025 4303 lotte.korell@ufz.de Personal webpage Sitz der Gesellschaft/Registered Office: Leipzig Registergericht/Registration Office: Amtsgericht Leipzig Handelsregister Nr./Trade Register Nr.: B 4703 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats/Chairman of the Supervisory Board: MinDirig Wilfried Kraus Wissenschaftlicher Gesch?ftsf?hrer/Scientific Managing Director: Prof. Dr. Rolf Altenburger Administrative Gesch?ftsf?hrerin/Administrative Managing Director: Dr. Sabine K?nig Lotte Korell (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)