Position description:
A 2-year post-doctoral research fellowship is available as part of a project to simulate ecological and hydrological dynamics under the influence of climate change using Covey Hill, located in southern Québec, as the focus of investigation. Covey Hill is home to several species of stream salamanders, including the Allegheny Mountain Dusky salamander and Spring salamander, both of which are considered to be species at risk in Québec. The hill is also an important source of headwater streams for the surrounding region and has significant peat lands.
In this project, we will couple an individual-based model of salamander ecological dynamics with a spatial model of the hydrological regime of the hill in order to make predictions concerning the potential impact of climate change on the survival of the salamanders as well as identify priority areas for conservation.
The postdoctoral fellow will be primarily involved in the development of the individual-based salamander model using the Repast Simphony simulation toolkit (repast.sourceforge.net). The fellow will be expected to develop, calibrate and validate the salamander model using available field data and expert knowledge, and then couple it to the output from a hydrological model to simulate different climate change and management scenarios on salamander population dynamics. Experience in modeling and the ability to program in Java or a related language are essential. A background in ecology, especially herpetology, is highly desirable. The candidate should also have proven ability to write and publish scientific papers in English.
The post-doctoral fellow will be jointly affiliated with the Complex Systems Laboratory of the Université de Montréal (www.geog.umontreal.ca/syscomplex/) and the Redpath Museum, McGill University (www.mcgill.ca/redpath/). This position is part of a collaborative project between the OURANOS consortium, the Québec Ministry of Natural Resources and Fauna, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM),Université Laval, Université de Montréal and McGill University. The fellow will be integrated within the project team and will have opportunities for regular interaction with researchers and collaborators from these institutions and organizations.
To ensure rapid integration within the research environment, the candidate’s mother tongue must be English or French.

Salary: $40,000 (CAD) per year for two years

Starting date: As soon as possible (Fall 2010 or early 2011)

Interested candidates should email a cover letter, curriculum vita and the names and contact information of two persons who can provide letters of reference to: Lael Parrott, Associate professor, Université de Montréal (lael.parrott@umontreal.ca) and David M. Green, Professor and Director, Redpath Museum, McGill University (david.m.green@mcgill.ca)

Only candidates short-listed for the position will be contacted.