Missions

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute transversally to the scientific implementation of the project. The FEVER project is part of an interdisciplinary effort aimed at better understanding the effects of wildfires on biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, and biogeochemical cycles in Mediterranean forests. By combining experimental approaches (in situ and ex situ) with the analysis of natural archives (lakes, peat bogs, marine cores), the project seeks to document, across both short and long timescales, the impact of fires on vegetation, soil chemical composition, and the dynamics of essential nutrients (P, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Ti). The project focuses on four major forest types in southern France (Aleppo pine, black pine, downy oak, holm oak) and six reference study sites.

This position is part of the research program (PEPR) Forest Resilience (FORESTT – https://www.pepr-forestt.org/
), funded by the France 2030 Investment for the Future Plan (PIA). FORESTT aims to support the transition of forest socio-ecosystems, in both temperate and tropical zones, within the context of global change, by bringing together the entire French scientific community. The recruited researcher will therefore be expected to integrate into and contribute to the activities of the FORESTT program, as well as the MONITOR and RESILIENCE projects to which they are affiliated.

Activities

• Integrated analysis of spatial and temporal data from various sources (combustion experiments, chemical analyses, sedimentary archives, vegetation surveys);
• Development of data transformation and interoperability methods to link vegetation, soil, and fire compartments, and to harmonize datasets across the different Work Packages;
• Contribution to the interpretation of ex situ experiments (combustibility, nutrient losses, functional response of vegetation);
• Participation in fieldwork: monitoring experimental plots, collecting soil and litter samples, and measuring physical fire properties;
• Technical supervision of soil chemistry measurements, particularly using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and contribution to the construction of soil vulnerability indices;
• Collaboration with the project's scientific partners through research stays in partner laboratories (in France), participation in coordination meetings, and dissemination of results (publications, conferences);
• Contributions to project deliverables, notably the development of synthetic indicators on the cumulative effects of fire and their functional consequences for biodiversity.

Skills

• Strong proficiency in environmental data analysis, particularly temporal data (long-term series, paleoecological data, experimental data);
• Skills in biostatistics and handling heterogeneous datasets (R or Python; GIS experience appreciated);
• Solid knowledge of fire ecology, soil functioning, and/or biogeochemical cycles;
• Strong interest in interdisciplinary approaches and experimental methods (in situ / ex situ);
• Field experience and ability to work collaboratively (multidisciplinary team, occasionally demanding field conditions);
• Strong organizational skills, scientific autonomy, and rigor;
• Ability to synthesize results and write scientific publications;
• Good command of scientific English (written/oral); proficiency in French required.

Work Context

The AMAP Joint Research Unit (UMR) is an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to advancing fundamental knowledge on plants and vegetation, with the aim of predicting ecosystem responses to environmental drivers. Its work focuses on issues such as species distribution and conservation, biodiversity, agricultural crop production, carbon storage in plant biomass, and the protection of the environment and ecosystem services.

The position is located in a sector under the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST), and therefore requires, in accordance with the regulations, that your arrival is authorized by the competent authority of the MESR.

Constraints and risks

• Travel required to study sites (Mediterranean France) and partner laboratories (national level);
• Scientific supervision provided by a multidisciplinary team, with access to the analytical infrastructures and experimental platforms of AMAP and its partners;
• Laboratory work involving possible exposure to high temperatures.