ORISE Wetland Plant Ecology Fellowship — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The ORISE Wetland Plant Ecology Fellowship at the U.S. EPA in Corvallis, Oregon, is a post-graduate position for individuals with research backgrounds. The role involves analyzing national plant datasets from the National Wetland Condition Assessment to explore wetland plant communities, ecological integrity, and responses to stressors. Candidates should have experience in wetland ecology, data analysis, and GIS, holding a relevant master's or doctoral degree within five years.
Location: Oregon
ORISE Wetland Plant Ecology Fellowship at EPA in Corvallis, Oregon

The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Ecological Systems Division in Corvallis, Oregon, has a new post-graduate position available through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). Post-masters with a strong research background and post-doctorates are preferred.

This effort will explore research questions using national plant datasets collected as part of the National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA), which is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive survey of wetland condition and characteristics across the conterminous US. The NWCA, coordinated by the EPA with states and tribes, collects physical, chemical, and biological data from wetlands across the conterminous United States every five years.

For each survey in 2011, 2016, and 2021, vegetation data (including plant taxonomic identification, species richness, and species abundance) were collected by field crews at approximately 1,000 sites. Combined with existing ancillary data about plant species, such as plant species traits and floristic quality analysis, the NWCA vegetation dataset provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore research questions to understand the drivers of wetland plant communities and ecological integrity.

This research will bring together the existing NWCA vegetation data and other monitoring data from the NWCA. Potential research questions may focus on developing plant indicators of condition and evaluating the responses of plants to stressors such as excess nutrients, climate change, and anthropogenic disturbance across the conterminous US. The data collected also allows the exploration of questions about plant community dynamics, such as species interactions and the relationship of these interactions to ecosystem, hydrologic, and soil characteristics in wetlands.

The ORISE fellow will be involved in the design of data analyses and in identifying research questions to pursue in this work.

Preferred skills and experience include:
• Solid background in wetland plant ecology, approaches, and methods;
• Experience in wetland vegetation classification and plant species interactions;
• Ability to conduct independent research;
• Experience with R statistical software and working with extensive datasets;
• Experience with spatial datasets and GIS;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Demonstrated skills working in a group setting;
• Capable of evaluating the quality of published science.

The qualified candidate should have received a master's or doctoral degree in a relevant field or be currently pursuing the degree and will reach completion by the start date of the appointment. The degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.
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