Post-doctoral Researcher – Rewilding for nature and society

The German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig is a National Research Centre funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Its central mission is to promote theory-driven synthesis and data-driven theory in integrative biodiversity research. It is located in the city of Leipzig and it is a central institution of the Leipzig University, jointly hosted by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). More information about iDiv: www.idiv.de.

This position is affiliated with the Biodiversity Conservation Group of Prof Henrique Pereira at iDiv in collaboration with the Department of Ecological Modeling at UFZ. The Biodiversity Conservation group aims to understand the patterns and processes of global biodiversity change, with the goal of informing environmental policy and management of ecosystems. For more information, please visit our lab website: www.idiv.de/research/idiv_core_groups/biodiversity_conservation.html.

This position is associated to the iDiv Flexpool Project: “A spatial framework to assess cultural and intrinsic values of Nature for conservation planning and scenarios”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The successful applicant will apply ecological and social theories and methods for predicting socialecological conditions that can sustain large-scale biodiversity restoration through applying rewilding principles. The research is focused on forest ecosystems in Europe. The work plan includes the development of spatial biodiversity indicators associated with the ecological integrity of forests; social analyses of people’s selection of areas for recreation in nature; and simulations of management actions with potential to enhance intrinsic and cultural values of nature. The successful candidate will build on previous research at iDiv and UFZ on rewilding, the integration of social theories of human behaviour in natural resource management, and the development of nature conservation scenarios.