PhD in Boreal Raptor Ecology under Climate Change

Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies

Research subject:

Biology

Description of the doctoral project

Boreal Raptors – Understanding and Predicting Mountain Raptor Community Dynamics under Climate Change

Why do some raptor species thrive while others decline as northern ecosystems warm? This PhD project will use long-term ecological data, field observations and quantitative modelling to understand and predict how climate, prey dynamics and changing landscapes reshape boreal and mountain raptor communities.

Rapid environmental change is transforming northern and mountain ecosystems. Climate warming, changing snow conditions, altered prey dynamics, vegetation change and increasing human land use can affect raptors both directly and indirectly, yet we still have limited understanding of how these interacting processes reshape entire raptor communities over time.

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join the Boreal Raptor Project, which aims to understand and predict the dynamics of mountain and boreal raptor communities under ongoing climate and environmental change. Rather than focusing on individual species in isolation, the project will investigate how multiple raptor species respond to shared environmental drivers, variation in prey availability, changing landscapes and interactions among species.

The project will build on long-term monitoring and newly collected data from northern Sweden and the Scandinavian mountain region. Depending on the specific research questions developed with the PhD student, focal species may include eagles, falcons, hawks and other raptors characteristic of northern and mountain ecosystems.

A central objective will be to identify the ecological mechanisms governing variation in species occurrence, breeding performance, distribution and community composition, and to determine how these mechanisms change across space and time. The project will also examine whether ecological responses observed today can be used to predict future changes in raptor communities under alternative climate and land-use scenarios.

The PhD project will address questions such as:

• How do climate, weather and snow conditions influence the occurrence, breeding phenology and reproductive performance of different raptor species?
• How do fluctuations in prey populations propagate through mountain raptor communities?
• Do raptor species respond similarly to environmental change, or do differences in ecological traits lead to contrasting responses?
• How do habitat change, forestry, infrastructure and other forms of land use interact with climatic drivers?
• How are interactions among raptor species, and with ecologically important species such as the common raven, altered when environmental conditions change?
• Can long-term ecological data be used to forecast future distributions, population dynamics and community composition?

The project provides an opportunity to work across levels of ecological organisation, from individual species and populations to communities and landscapes.

About the position

The doctoral student will work with a combination of existing long-term datasets and newly collected field data. The project may integrate information on species occurrence, breeding territories and reproductive performance with environmental and spatial data describing climate, weather, snow cover, vegetation, habitat structure, land use and prey dynamics.

Analyses will involve advanced quantitative ecological methods and may include generalized linear and mixed models, hierarchical models, occupancy and demographic models, time-series analyses, spatial modelling, species distribution models and community-level approaches. Remote-sensing and GIS data will be used to quantify environmental and landscape change.

An important component of the project will be to move from describing historical patterns towards prediction. The student will therefore investigate how models developed from long-term ecological data can be used to forecast changes in raptor communities under future climatic and landscape scenarios.

Fieldwork in northern and mountain environments may form part of the project and can include surveys of breeding territories, reproductive monitoring and collection of complementary ecological data.

The precise research questions will be developed jointly by the doctoral student and supervisory team within the broader objectives of the Boreal Raptor Project.

Requirements

To meet the general entry requirements you must have been awarded a second-cycle (Master’s) qualification, satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad (Higher Education Ordinance 1993:100, Chapter 7, Section 39).

You must also meet the equivalent English language requirements as those necessary for the Swedish upper-secondary qualification Engelska B/6.

Your profile

Qualifications

• a Master’s degree, or equivalent, in ecology, biology, wildlife ecology, conservation biology, zoology or another relevant field;
• a strong interest in population, community or movement ecology;
• an interest in understanding ecological responses to climate and environmental change;
• experience with quantitative ecological analysis and statistical modelling;
• experience using R or another relevant programming environment;
• excellent written and spoken English;
• an ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within an interdisciplinary research team.

Experience in one or more of the following is particularly meritorious:

• raptor or bird ecology;
• population or community ecology;
• spatial or movement ecology;
• analysis of long-term ecological datasets;
• hierarchical, demographic or species-distribution modelling;
• GIS and remote sensing;
• fieldwork involving birds;
• analysis of climate, snow or land-use data.

We place considerable emphasis on scientific curiosity, analytical thinking and the candidate’s ability to develop ecological questions rather than simply apply existing analytical methods.

Advanced proficiency in both spoken and written English is required to conduct independent research, prepare scientific publications and communicate effectively in an international research environment.

About us

Research environment

The position is based at the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies at SLU in Umeå. The department offers a creative and international research environment and conducts internationally recognised basic and applied research, education and environmental monitoring in wildlife ecology, conservation biology, restoration ecology, movement ecology and quantitative ecology.

The doctoral student will become part of an active research environment working on raptor ecology, animal movement, biodiversity and environmental change. The project will involve collaboration with researchers, environmental authorities and other organisations involved in monitoring and conserving northern raptor populations.

The project provides excellent opportunities to build national and international collaborations in raptor ecology, climate-change ecology and quantitative ecological modelling.

What we offer

• a fully funded four-year doctoral education;
• training in quantitative ecology and advanced ecological modelling;
• opportunities to combine long-term datasets, field ecology and spatial environmental information;
• opportunities for fieldwork in northern and mountain ecosystems;
• collaboration with national and international researchers working on raptor ecology and environmental change;
• participation in scientific conferences and international research networks.

Read more about staff benefits and life as an SLU employee on https://www.slu.se/om-slu/jobba-pa-slu/

Read more about third-cycle courses and study programmes on www.slu.se/utbildning/program-kurser/forskarutbildning/.

Form of employment / Funding
Employment as a doctoral student (4-year programme)

Doctoral student’s salaries are set following the local collective agreement. Salary progression is fixed.

Location:
Umeå

Scope:
100%

Start date:
Upon agreement.

Application and selection:
Please submit your application using the link below. The deadline is 24 November 2026.

Applications cannot be submitted through the recruitment system on 20–22 November due to a system update.

Read more about the attachments that your application should include at https://www.slu.se/en/study/programmes-courses/doctoral-education/how-can-i-become-a-doctoral-student/application/

Selection among eligible applicants is based on the documents attached to the application, and is carried out with regard to the applicant’s ability to complete the programme within the allotted time.

Academic union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden.

SLU has around 4,000 employees, 6,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 4,5 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.