Ecologist/Forestry Researcher - CSU/CEMML - Fort Collins, CO
Core
Research role characterizing, mapping, and modeling tree species composition and forest attributes in tropical environments using GIS, remote sensing, and Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data to understand ecosystem disturbance and resilience.
Role type
Research ecologist (tropical forest systems)
Builds
Spatial maps of species composition gradients, model-derived estimates of biomass and basal area, and uncertainty analyses for forest inventory metrics.
Domain
Ecology, Forestry, Geospatial Science
Deliverable
production ML models
Required skills
Systems ecology, GIS, remote sensing, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, spatial statistics, machine learning, R, Python, data visualization, science communication
Preferred skills
Model-assisted estimation, integrating remote sensing/climate/fire/topographic data, reproducible workflows, technical reporting
Technologies
R, Python, GIS, Remote Sensing, FIA datasets
Responsibilities
Combine spatial data with predictor variables to characterize and map tree species composition; Evaluate model outputs to reduce uncertainties in FIA estimates; Link species composition outputs to fire occurrence datasets; Create maps of model-derived composition gradients; Determine appropriate model parameters and spatial predictor datasets.
Seniority
Early-career researcher (PhD required)