Elucidating local site factors and interactions for forest regeneration concepts in climate change

2 PhD students (m/f/d) in Forest Ecophysiology / Microbial Ecology

14.08.2024, Wissenschaftliches Personal

The Ecophysiology of Plants Group (Chair of Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions) of the TUM School of Life Sciences is looking for two PhD students (m/f/d) starting 15 October 2024 (or later): 1x Ecophysiology and Forest Stands, 1x Microbiomes, Fungi and Roots. Our aim is to use an established large-scale experiment to understand how small-scale factors (including snags, hydraulic redistribution, microbiotic interactions) improve the survivability of young trees under climate change.

Your tasks

The survival of young trees depends primarily on their immediate environment. Biotic factors such as old trees, tree species mix, tree stumps, mycorrhiza and the tree-soil microbiome have hardly been investigated in direct connection to date. Your task is to clarify the significance of such small-scale factors at the stand, tree and root zone level of a future-oriented large-scale experiment (over 100,000 young trees planted in a mixture, several locations in Bavaria) and to uncover mechanisms of water supply to such young plants in the forest in manipulation experiments. To this end, you will develop measurement concepts and experiments, carry them out and communicate the results. Together you will use a wide range of methods, including drone-based thermal photography in the stand, physiological measurements on plants in the field, stable isotope analysis and molecular biological analysis of microbial communities in the laboratory. Our focus is divided into ecophysiological and fungal/microbial investigations:

Position 1: Ecophysiology and stand processes

• Measurements and experiments, e.g. on xylem flow, hydraulic redistribution (including stable isotopes), anatomical wood analyses, photosynthesis rates, transpiration, water use efficiency
• stand-orientated: thermal photography (drone) for spatially resolved mapping of leaf temperatures, position determination and shoot length growth, ground penetrating radar in the root zone

Position 2: Microbiomes, fungi, and roots

• Analysis of microbial root and soil communities (e.g. with Oxford nanopore and Illumina amplicons on, fungal, prokarya, and possibly protists)
• Development of a strategy for functional characterisation of root communities (DNA and RNA based, as well as consideration of individual root characteristics, e.g. vitality)

Your Profile

We are looking for dynamic, reliable and motivated candidates with a master/diploma degree in biology, ecology, forestry or related disciplines who enjoy independent, interdisciplinary work, who actively participate in our group and exchange ideas within the project. Willingness to work in the field and laboratory work, experience with statistical data analysis (R), driving licence and willingness to drive (especially position 1), good German and English language skills, as well as communication skills with local partners (especially position 1). Additionally:

Position 1

• Specialisation (MSc./Dipl.) in ecology, forest science, biology, resource management, or similar.
• Practical experience with ecophysiological methods and field work is an advantage
• Strong interest in process-orientated research in plant physiology/plant ecology
• Advantageous: GIS and other spatial software
  

Position 2

• Specialisation (MSc./Dipl.) in biology, microbiology, ecology, bioinformatics, or similar.
  
• Experience in fungal/microbial ecology, especially with NGS DNA sequencing and analysis in the lab and on the PC
• Strong interest in microbial communities and interactions in the root zone
• Willingness to work in the field
  

we offer

• Integration into a young, dynamic, international and multidisciplinary working environment with various national and international co-operations
• A constructive, lively working atmosphere
• Employment with appropriate remuneration for doctoral candidates, according to the collective agreement for the public service of the federal states (65% TV-L E13)
• Structured doctoral programme (TUM Graduate School)

How to apply

Please send your application with a letter of motivation, a brief description of your research experience, CV, and the contact details of two references as a single pdf file (KlimaSens_surname_firstname.pdf) to Prof. Dr Thorsten Grams and Dr Fabian Weikl (klimasens.weikl@tum.de). The application deadline is 15 September 2024. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Prof. Dr Thorsten Grams or Dr Fabian Weikl. 

Technische Universität München

Professur für Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions

AG Ecophysiology of Plants

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Grams

Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany

Tel. +49 8161 714579

https://www.lss.ls.tum.de/lsai/ueber-uns//

Kontakt: Prof. Dr. Throsten Grams, Dr. Fabian Weikl; klimasens.weikl@tum.de

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