USDA-FS Post-Hurricane Forest Recovery at Landscape and Island-Wide Scales in Puerto Rico
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
USDA Forest Service Office/Lab and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
At the heart of the USDA Forest Service's mission is their purpose. Everything they do is intended to help sustain forests and grasslands for present and future generations. Why? Because their stewardship work supports nature in sustaining life. This is the purpose that drives the agency’s mission and motivates their work across the agency. It’s been there from the agency’s very beginning, and it still drives them. To advance the mission and serve their purpose, the USDA Forest Service balances the short and long-term needs of people and nature by: working in collaboration with communities and our partners; providing access to resources and experiences that promote economic, ecological, and social vitality; connecting people to the land and one another; and delivering world-class science, technology and land management.
Research Project: Predicting the effects of changing disturbance regimes on ecosystems is a key challenge for global change research. Hurricanes Irma and Maria transformed lush tropical forests across Puerto Rico into a leafless tangle of damaged and downed trees. Various types of lidar remote sensing missions were conducted in 2016 and 2017, before Hurricanes Maria and Irma in Puerto Rico, and in 2018 and 2020, after these storms. An ORISE fellow will participate in ongoing research on forest recovery from these hurricanes.
Learning Objectives: The fellow mentored by Helmer and Heartsill-Scalley will learn how to refine a problem from the broad areas defined by the following research questions.
- How do background and hurricane tree mortality alter key parameters affecting forest succession and biogeochemical cycling, including tree allometry and forest structure, canopy, and understory light environments, and necromass production.
- How have growth and mortality of damaged individuals, rates of recruitment and re-sprouting, determined the resulting canopy closure in the 6-year period following the hurricanes.
- How have growth, mortality and recruitment affected island-wide species composition and the biomass of various species and tree sizes (seedlings, saplings, trees).
Mentor: The mentors for this opportunity are Eileen Helmer (eileen.helmer@usda.gov) and Tamara Heartsill (tamara.heartsill-scalley@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 2024. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year but may be extended upon recommendation of USDA Forest Service and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and USDA Forest Service. Participants do not become employees of USDA, USDA Forest Service, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.USFS.WO@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past four years.
Preferred skills:
- Experience with remote sensing data including lidar and data and remotely sensed satellite imagery, geographic information systems, R statistical analyses and ecosystem modeling.
- Knowledge of tropical forest ecology and biogeochemistry.
Eligibility Requirements
- Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 48 month(s).
- Academic Level(s): Postdoctoral.