We are seeking a strong post-doctoral candidate to document the dynamics of long-term and recent C storage of peatlands in the Wapusk National Park, located in the Hudson Bay peatland complex, Manitoba. These permafrost peatlands are affected by recent warming, and the direction and magnitude of the changes are still uncertain. In the context of Canadian nature-based climate solutions programs to mitigate climate warming, the value of the C stocks and their potential vulnerability to climate changes need to be addressed. We are offering a full-time position for 2 years at the Université du Québec à Montréal under the supervision of Prof. Michelle Garneau, in collaboration with Parks Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
The ideal candidate is expected to meet these following objectives:
- Synthesize data from the literature and from field campaigns to quantify the amount of C stored in the National Park since the postglacial sea retreat;
- Estimate the lability of the C stored;
- Evaluate the impact of recent permafrost thaw on those peatlands and quantify the recent accumulation if any;
- In collaboration with ECCC, upscale the recent changes in vegetation patterns using Sentinel and Landsat satellite imagery data.
Salary: $ 60 000 CAN / year plus benefits
A budget to support field work and biogeochemical analyses will complement the funding.
Experience: PhD in physical geography, paleoecology, environmental sciences or equivalent
Skills: Strong capacities in GIS, R or equivalent
Peatland enthusiast and concerned with their future.
Interested candidates, please contact Michelle Garneau (garneau.michelle [at] uqam.ca (garneau[dot]michelle[at]uqam[dot]ca)) with cover letter, CV, and contact information for 3 referees.