Ph.D. Position: Sustainability of the Functional Connectivity of Malagasy Landscapes for Terrestrial Fauna. Target candidates: nationals of [ https://www.sshb.org/lmic/ | low- and lower-middle-income countries ] Application Deadline: Thursday, February 29, 2024. The applications will be evaluated upon reception. The deadline for submitting applications is February 29. However, the position will remain open until a qualified candidate is selected. How to apply: Please send your cover letter and curriculum vitae to the contact address provided below. Additionally, you may include any other relevant documents such as your master's thesis, publications, awards, or grants. Contact: jordi.salmona@ird.fr General Information Job Title: Ph.D. in landscape genetics of Malagasy fauna (M/F) Location: Toulouse, Montpellier, France - Antananarivo, Madagascar Publication Date: January 10, 2024 Grant Duration: 36 months Ph.D. Start Date: September 1, 2024 Workload: Full-time Monthly allowance: The monthly allowance, paid through Campus France, is euro 405 in Madagascar, and around euro 1690 for periods spent in France, to account for local costs. The doctoral candidate will also benefit from health and liability insurances. Thesis Subject Description The project aims to address the profound landscape changes observed in Madagascar since human arrival. These human driven changes, particularly in the use and transformation of forests, have significant implications for the island's biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by its forests, such as fuelwood provisioning. The resultant forest fragmentation poses challenges to self-regeneration and adversely affects terrestrial and arboreal mammals, crucial for seed dispersal. However, human practices are not the sole catalysts behind landscape changes and each region has a unique ecology, set of practices and conservation challenges. Some open habitats were naturally fragmented for millennia, while others were deforested more recently. For instance, the western dry ecosystems have experienced high recent deforestation rates, yet their fragmentation history beyond the past 70 years remains poorly understood. Understanding these spatiotemporal evolutions is crucial for establishing sustainable conservation practices in rural landscapes. The objective of the PhD work is to assess the sustainability of Malagasy rural landscapes using a comparative landscape genetics approach. The study will leverage already available population genetics and genomic data from multiple complementary rural landscapes, of varying deforestation rates and management practices. This data will be analyzed to explore landscape dynamics and their impact on historical and contemporary functional connectivity. The project seeks to identify isolated populations and landscape components requiring reconnection, estimate the influence of human activities on ecological sustainability, and formulate recommendations considering conservation objectives, landscape use, and human needs. Ultimately, the findings will contribute to the establishment of robust conservation practices in Madagascar, promoting habitat connectivity and ecological sustainability while addressing the needs of local communities. The project will be co-supervised by a multidisciplinary group of researchers facilitating the acquisition of specialized knowledge in landscape genetics and genomics (Jordi Salmona, IRD-CRBE and Lounès Chikhi, CNRS-CRBE and Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência), in spatial analysis and remote sensing (Solofo Rakotondraompiana, IOGA-Madagascar). In addition, the project integration to the IRD ILJ-Landscapes and the co-supervision by Stéphanie M. Carrière (IRD-UMR-SENS), will establish a strong connection with the activities of other sites studied by the ILJ, encompassing ecological and ethnoecological aspects and concerns related to landscape sustainability. Work Context The candidate will undergo a dual affiliation, spending six months annually at the Biodiversity and Environment Research Center (CRBE, UMR5300) situated on the University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier campus in Toulouse. For the remaining six months, they will be based at the Centre National de Recherches sur l'Environnement (CNRE) and/or the Institut de géophysique et observatoire d'Antananarivo (IOGA) in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Additionally, periods in Montpellier and Lisbon have been strategically planned to facilitate close collaboration with SC and LC, respectively. The candidate is expected to engage closely with fellow PhD and MSc students, fostering a collaborative research environment. Applications are particularly encouraged from Malagasy nationals, students of Malagasy Universities, and citizens from the South-Western Indian Ocean region, but all candidates from [ https://www.sshb.org/lmic/ | low- and lower-middle-income countries ] will be considered. Constraints and Risks The candidate should possess solid knowledge in population genetics, genomics and modeling, as well as proficiency in statistical analysis tools and the R language. Knowledge of BASH scripting, experience in bioinformatics, and familiarity with the mammal biological model will be advantageous for the application. Additionally, the candidate may conduct field sampling in a tropical context requiring a high level of physical fitness to navigate challenging terrains. An inclination towards interdisciplinary work will be appreciated. Jordi SALMONA - IRD - CRBE Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement - UMR5300 IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group - Madagascar jordi.salmona@ird.fr / jordi.salmona@univ-tlse3.fr +33 (0)561556758 jordi.salmona@ird.fr (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)