Missions

As part of an ANR-funded research project called SUFUMANG (sustainable and fair use of mangroves), which seeks to understand the value system and uses of mangroves by local communities in Lower Casamance (Senegal) and the Santa Cruz Canal (Brazil). Through this understanding of uses, the interdisciplinary project aims to develop new tools to assess how and why these uses constitute factors of change in the state of mangroves (in terms of degradation, conservation, or improvement). Certain uses may indeed affect the integrity of the ecosystem, but the activities of local communities in mangroves can also be guarantors of the good condition of mangroves, ensuring both the well-being and preservation of their instrumental and relational values, for example, through the maintenance of complex cultural landscapes.

Mangroves are at the heart of tensions between environmental and social objectives. They are a case study for the science of sustainability, whose challenge is to reconcile ecosystem conservation, sustainable resource use, and equity among stakeholders. To analyze these tensions and identify transformative solutions that ensure co-benefits, systemic and spatially explicit modeling is required.

One of the collective's main hypotheses is to understand mangroves as complex adaptive socio-ecological systems, where biophysical dynamics, local uses, institutions, and value systems interact. Conceptual frameworks such as the SES framework (Ostrom et al., 2009) and the adaptive cycle (Gunderson & Holling, 2002) offer tools that are particularly well suited to translating this complexity and integrating the spatial and temporal dynamics specific to these ecosystems. Nevertheless, while these conceptual frameworks are well known to colleagues in the social sciences and humanities, integrating both social and ecological data into a digital model that respects these conceptual frameworks remains a scientific frontier to be crossed. The proposed modeling would thus make it possible (at best, and without claiming to be exhaustive) to address several key issues, such as:
- understanding how the diversity of uses (fishing, timber, agriculture, gathering) and value systems affect the state of the socio-ecological system of mangroves, conditioning both their conservation (SDGs 14, 15) and local well-being (SDGs 1, 3);
- analyzing the internal dynamics of governance (collective rules, trust, social organization) that produce stabilizing or amplifying feedback loops, which are central to equity and social justice (SDGs 5, 10);
- assess the impact of external forces (climate, markets, regulations) that impose themselves on local communities but also open windows of opportunity for transformation;
- determine whether trajectories of change are unidirectional or reversible, and explore scenarios that reconcile conservation and livelihoods;
- examine timeframes (short and long term) in order to identify critical phases when systems become vulnerable or, conversely, conducive to transformation.

Thus, in line with the SUFUMANG context, the proposed modeling aims not only to describe mangrove socio-ecosystems, but also to design an integrative and forward-looking framework capable of analyzing their resilience, adaptive capacity, and future trajectories in the face of ongoing changes.

Activités

During a 12-month assignment corresponding to the second year of the project, the recruited researcher will contribute to the development of a spatially explicit model for analyzing the interactions between local uses and the ecological dynamics of mangroves. He/she will participate in the integration of data from field surveys and international partners into appropriate modeling tools (cellular automata, multi-agent systems, etc.). The activities can be detailed as follows:

Collaborate with the French, Senegalese, and Brazilian multidisciplinary teams involved in the project, familiarize yourself with the project and some of the state of the art on the issue. Participate in (at least) one field mission to familiarize yourself with the contexts studied and the methods used.

Design, develop, and test a spatially explicit model of at least one of the two mangrove socio-ecosystems studied.

Contribute to the integration of data from surveys, satellite image processing, botanical surveys, and even biodiversity data into the model, with the help of researchers specializing in these different types of data.

Calibrate and validate the model developed using field data and sensitivity analyses.

Design and implement mangrove management and governance scenarios.

Participate in the writing of a scientific article promoting this model and/or its presentation at an international conference.

Compétences

Doctoral training in geography, ecology, or computer science.
Proficiency in a programming language or modeling environment (e.g., Python, R, NetLogo, GAMA, etc.).
Demonstrated experience in spatial modeling (cellular automata, multi-agent systems, dynamic models).
Experience in model calibration and validation (sensitivity analyses, OpenMole, etc.).
Skills in spatial data manipulation and analysis (GIS, Python libraries, R).
Sensitivity to the ecological and social dimensions of socio-ecosystems.
Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and communicate with researchers from various backgrounds.
Proficiency in written and spoken scientific English.

Contexte de travail

The position is based at the ESPACE joint research unit (CNRS – Université Côte d'Azur), Nice team. The postdoctoral researcher will benefit from a dynamic and multidisciplinary scientific environment at the crossroads of social sciences and environmental sciences. He or she will work closely with French partners (various Research Units involved), as well as with laboratories in Senegal and Brazil, providing a stimulating framework for international scientific exchange.

A unique dataset is currently being compiled by the research project consortium. It combines:
- Satellite remote sensing maps of changes in mangrove cover
- Information from field surveys on uses and practices,
- Ecological descriptors on aquatic fauna, water and soil pollution
- Botanical data and parameters relating to the structure and functioning of mangrove vegetation.

This corpus will constitute the main resource for developing a systemic and spatially explicit model capable of articulating ecological dynamics and social practices in order to better understand the possible trajectories of mangrove socio-ecosystems.

Contraintes et risques

Travel within France and abroad (field missions in West Africa and/or Brazil) under conditions that may be challenging (heat, humidity).

Ability to adapt quickly (within 12 months) to a multidisciplinary and international project with varying timelines and scientific expectations.

Significant amount of time spent sitting in front of a screen.