项目介绍

2026年6月17日

The Spatial Genetics of Ecosystems group is situated in the Department of Geography and affiliated with the Department of Chemistry at the University of Zurich Faculty of Science.

The successful candidate will earn a PhD from the Graduate School in Geography and Earth System Science while conducting research on the SNSF-funded project “Seeing the forest for the trees: Understanding contributions of individual-level genetic variation to the performance of beech forests.”

Forest ecosystems cover a third of the Earth’s land surface and their future is an important factor in climate change. The European beech Fagus sylvatica is a widespread forest tree and natural wood source, often growing in monodominant or pure stands. Sibling beech trees are highly plastic and neighbors often show large differences in their response to stress. The project will map genomic diversity across European beech forests and investigate why beech trees differ within and across environments, which aspects are heritable, and which are important for predicting the future of Europe’s beech forests.

Your responsibilities

• Conducting research involving spatial sampling and measurement campaigns, remote sensing, and computational analyses to study individual- and population-level differences in beech trees and their environmental responses (70%)
• Teaching (5%)
• Other duties including participating in group activities (5%)
• Coursework required for the degree

Your profile

• A Masters of Science (MSc) or equivalent degree from an accredited academic institution (required)
• Knowledge of spatial ecology, spatial genetics, ecological genomics, or related fields; specialized knowledge of forests is a plus
• Experience acquiring and/or working with spatial and/or remote sensing data
• Experience conducting fieldwork or working in common garden experiments
• Experience with data analysis using open and reproducible methods

Information on your application

Please submit your application as one PDF file including:

• A motivation letter addressing the topic and profile for the position and your fit
• Your CV
• A copy of your qualifying degree certificate

The deadline for applications is 19 July 2026.