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Within the DFG-funded interdisciplinary research unit GArua: “Fog-dependent water relations and plant invasion in the Galápagos Archipelago under climate change”, we are looking for
A coordinator (postdoc) and 5 researchers / PhD students to study fog - vegetation interactions in Galapagos
The GArua project is a collaboration between researchers based at seven German universities and the Charles Darwin Foundation on Galapagos and aims to understand the interactive effects of plant invasion and climate change on the biodiversity and hydrology of the humid-zone ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands. Subprojects work together in joint research sites, including several field experiments, to study climate patterns, cloud water interception, ecosystem hydrology, tree population dynamics, tree water relations, epiphyte water relations and diversity, litter decomposition and soils. The integration of subproject results, through conceptual and formal modelling, should lead to the detection of interactions and feedbacks between these system elements. Spatial extrapolation through modelling and remote sensing should allow predictions about the development of these ecosystems across the islands.
For al positions within the project, in addition to subproject-specific requirements, very good English communication skills, the willingness to travel to Galapagos for extended periods of time, and a collaborative research style are required. In GArua, we offer a stimulating research environment with plenty of opportunities for collaboration and the development of academic skills.
We are searching to fill the following positions within the GArua project:
1. Project coordinator (based in Marburg)
The coordinator we are looking for will support the GArua project by coordinating the scientific integration of methods and results among all the subprojects, as well as by leading the practical daily running of the project, based at the University of Marburg in the lab of Prof. Dr. Maaike Bader.
The position is suitable for a person with a PhD in geography, biology, environmental science or a similar field, experience in project coordination, and an interest in interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific synthesis. For more information and application (deadline 16 July 2026) look HERE.
2. PhD student to study bryophyte diversity (Marburg)
This researcher, with the explicit opportunity to write a PhD thesis within the project, will work in the subproject “Epiphyte species diversity across scales as safeguard for maintaining ecosystem functions under global change” in the lab of Prof. Dr. Maaike Bader.
The position is suitable for a person holding an MSc in biology or a related field with experience and a strong interest in bryology and ecology, including quantitative methods. For more information and application (deadline 16 July 2026) look HERE.
3. PhD student to study tree water relations (Dresden) (more info coming soon)
4. PhD student to study ecosystem water relations (Giessen)
The successful applicant will investigate the hydrology of the Galápagos cloud forests, quantifying how climate change and plant invasions alter cloud-water interception (CWI) — a critical freshwater input to these ecosystems. The subproject (C3), led by Dr. David Windhorst and Prof. Dr. Lutz Breuer at the Chair of Landscape, Water and Biogeochemical Cycles, University of Giessen, combines lysimeter-based field experiments on epiphyte interception with process-based hydrological modelling in the Catchment Modelling Framework (CMF), alongside extended field campaigns on the Galápagos Islands.
The position is suitable for a person holding an MSc in Hydrology, Environmental Sciences, Geoecology or a related field, with experience in hydrometeorological fieldwork and knowledge of hydrological modelling and programming (preferably Python or C++). For more information and application (deadline 15 August 2026, ref. 293/09) look HERE.
5. PhD student to study plant-soil interactions (Tübingen)
The successful applicant will study the effect of invasive plant species on nutrient cycling on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. The subproject led by Prof. Dr. Yvonne Oelmann, University of Tübingen, comprises field trips to the Galápagos Islands and lab work in Germany. The candidate should have extended knowledge of biogeochemical processes in ecosystems with a particular focus on stable isotopes and laboratory experience in wet chemistry. We are looking for a dynamic, serious, and motivated researcher with a Master degree in Environmental Sciences, or related disciplines. For more information, see the job announcement here (coming soon).