READVERTISEMENT: 2-yr postdoc on: Impacts of rewilding on European biodiversity and climate mitigation using remote sensing

The Department of Biology, Aarhus University invites applications for a 2-year postdoc position on the WildE Horizon Europe project: climate-smart rewilding –ecological restoration for climate change mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity support in Europe.

Rampant climate change and biodiversity loss present the greatest challenges to the integrity of Earth’s biosphere. To avoid a catastrophe, large-scale and coordinated action is needed, including ambitious ecosystem restoration. This project aims to quantify how different implementations of ecosystem restoration and rewilding affect biodiversity and climate change mitigation in Europe. In the context of this project rewilding is defined broadly as ecosystem restoration that aims to reduce human control and increase natural dynamics, i.e. ranging from passive land abandonment to trophic rewilding with reintroduced megafauna.  

The position is for 2 years and is available from June 1, 2023, or soon thereafter.

The main aim is to quantify historical trajectories in relevant biodiversity and climate-related variables across Europe, primarily using remote sensing data (Landsat, supplemented with recent data from e.g. Sentinel and GEDI). These trajectories of change will then be linked to land use and ecosystem management strategies, including different forms of rewilding, and environmental variables in order to explain and attribute change in biodiversity and climate variables. There will also be scope to incorporate spatial biodiversity data, e.g. of plants and potentially other taxa.

Applicants must have a PhD degree in ecology, geography or equivalent, or have submitted their PhD thesis for assessment before the application deadline. Strong expertise with quantitative ecology is expected, in combination with solid skills in spatial modelling and experience with remote sensing data. Strong coding skills are essential (at least one of R, Python, Google Earth Engine JavaScript).

The successful candidate is expected to have strong collaborative skills as they will work closely with internal and external collaborators. Candidates must have proven abilities to publish at a high international level and have excellent command of English. International applicants who do not have English as their first language must prove excellent English language writing skills and fluency.

The application must be in English and include a motivation letter including a 1-page outline of your ideas for the postdoc research project, 2-page CV (including number of citations and H-index from Google Scholar), full list of publications, as well as educational documentation (copies of diplomas for Master and PhD degrees, in English or Danish).

Assistant professor Robert Buitenwerf and Professor Jens-Christian Svenning will be the supervisors. The postdoc will join the Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity (EcoInf) at the Department of Biology at Aarhus University. EcoInf harbors strong expertise in macroecology, remote sensing, and megafauna and vegetation ecology, as well as in ecology and biodiversity broadly. EcoInf constitutes an ambitious, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and highly international research community and currently hosts several centers of excellence including ECONOVO, a Center of Excellence focused on improving our insights into emerging novel ecological conditions and how to steer these conditions towards the most positive outcome possible. Local and international collaborators from within the wildE project will be included where relevant. Postdocs and PhD students are encouraged to collaborate within the group, across departments, and with other universities.

The successful candidate is offered:

• an ambitious, creative, and friendly research environment, inviting lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research
• a working environment with teamwork, close working relations, network activities among young scientists and social activities
• a workplace characterized by professionalism, equality, and a healthy work life balance
• access to a well-developed research infrastructure office space, shared equipment

Place of Work
The place of employment and work is Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity (EcoInf), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

The Department of Biology hosts research programs and teaching curricula that cover all major biological sub-disciplines. The Department currently employs approximately 140 academic and technical staff and 40 PhD students. The Department hosts BSc and MSc study programs in Biology with about 400 students enrolled as well as a PhD program. The Department offer a vibrant and informal research environment with a long-standing tradition for collaboration with international university partners in the absolute elite. 

The working language is English, and we welcome applications from all genders of all backgrounds. Read about the Danish work-life balance, special opportunities for junior researchers, and the services available when relocating to Aarhus University here . The campus of Aarhus University is located in a beautiful park close to the city center (population 300.000).

Life quality and time allocation to family life in Denmark is high, and international investigations usually report that no other nationality score higher in terms of life satisfaction.

You can read more about the Department of Biology here .

Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact: Assistant Professor Robert Buitenwerf, phone +45 52688455, e-mail:

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