The Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech is hiring a postdoctoral associate supported by funds from the National Park Service (NPS). The National Capital Region (NCR) Inventory and Monitoring Network collects, analyzes, and synthesizes natural resource monitoring data to characterize the status and trends of NPS resources to inform park decision-making. The NCR tracks forest vegetation at >400 long-term monitoring plots distributed among 11 NPS units, spanning the Potomac River corridor from the urban center of the District of Columbia to remote forested areas in western Maryland and West Virginia. Many of these forest sites represent a diverse meeting of Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Central Appalachian communities, and they represent a wide gradient of conditions from highly disturbed to old-growth. These plots are re-visited on a 4-year cycle, and the fourth sample visit was completed in 2022.

Through this project, Virginia Tech and the NCR will collaborate on:

(1) Scientific analysis and reporting on NCR forest vegetation monitoring data
(2) Preparation of scientific products that document the state of these resources and how they are changing
(3) Developing recommendations and best practices for managing these resources in a dynamic world.
(4) Develop an independent inquiry related to community ecology and forest condition from these data

Position will require travel to and from field sites within the Northern Virginia region will be needed to obtain additional field measurements and to meet with Park staff. Position will require working outside, walking for periods, and traversing uneven terrain.