Department of Forest Ecology and Management

Boreal forests are experiencing a variety of change factors, including rising CO2 and increasing growing season duration and mean temperatures.  These changes promote increasing forest growth, which subsequently increases their N demand.  Boreal forests are nitrogen limited, and thus increasing N demand due to higher growth instensifies N limitation.  In response to this, trees upregulate their acquisition of N from soils via their mycorrhizal partners.  While upregulation of N acquisition via mycorrhizae might help alleviate their N limitation, this change may have consequences for soil C cycling processes that affect soil C stocks.  Specifically, an increase in mycorrhizal activity and composition may have consequences for soil C cycling processes, such as soil organic matter turnover, accumulation rate, and organic matter composition.  This project will explore this question, by utilizing soils collected and archived by the Swedish Soil Inventory, and soils obtained from a large-scale CO2 enrichment experiment.  The aim is to study how soil fungal communities may be changing through time, and infer the functional significance of this, in terms of changes in organic matter composition, and C accumulation rates.        

About the position

The postdoc will be part of a research team, based in Umeå and Uppsala, for a project funded by VR.  The post doc will be responsible for detailed analysis of soil fungal communities, soil organic matter quality, and soil C stock changes.  They will relate these variables to other datasets focused on forest growth, and wood isotope composition.  The position will require research visits to Uppsala to work with the fungal ecology team.     

Your profile  

The postdoc must already have a working knowledge of fungal ecology, and DNA extraction, sequencing, bioinformatics, and data analysis.  They must also already have working knowledge analyzing forests, for example ecosystem growth rates, or population genetic structure.  The post doc must be well versed in data analysis in R, including univariate and multivariate approaches.  The post doc must have a background in both soil and forest science. Experience in working in boreal forest systems is a must. Excellent skills in written and spoken English is a requirement. As postdoctoral appointments are career-developing positions for junior researchers, we are primarily looking for candidates with a doctoral degree that is three years old at most. 

About us  

The department Forest ecology and management includes about 115 people of which 9 are professors. Our mission is to advance the understanding of forest ecosystems and how these should be managed today and in the future. For more information: http://www.slu.se/en/departments/forest-ecology-management/

Read more about our benefits and working at SLU by visiting: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/

Location:

Umeå

Form of employment:  

Temporary employment 24 months

Scope:

100%

Start date:

January 7 2026, or according to agreement

Application:

Please submit your application before deadline 25 of September 2025. You can submit your application by clicking the button below.

Your application should be written in English ,and contain: 1. A cover letter (max 1 page) and a research statement incl CV describing your qualifications (max 3 pages) 2. Contact details of 2 references. 3. PhD diploma.

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 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 3 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.