PhD in Seed Pathogens and Masting

The Plant Ecology Group at ETH Zürich, led by Professor Janneke Hille Ris Lambers, is seeking an enthusiastic PhD candidate to study how seed and seedling pathogens influence forest regeneration through its effects on and response to mast seeding. The PhD student will work collaboratively with the Plant Ecology Group (at ETH Zürich) and the Temporal Ecology Group (at University of British Columbia) to contribute to this project.

The reproduction of many plants is characterized by mast seeding, where boom and bust seed production years are correlated amongst individuals within populations due to their common response to a climatic trigger. Masting is thought to have evolved to foil seed predators, whose populations shrink during non-mast years when overall seed availability is low and cannot grow their populations fast enough to consume all seeds during mast years, allowing some seeds to ‘escape’ consumption. However, most studies of such seed consumers focus on mammals, birds and insects - ignoring the possibility that soil-borne pathogens can also strongly limit recruitment. Whether or not soil pathogens contribute to the evolution of the masting strategy depends on their spatio-temporal effects, and whether they are generalist or specialist. 

The Plant Ecology Group at ETH Zürich conducts research on a diversity of topics within the realm of plant community ecology, including the factors that limit forest regeneration (including masting dynamics), the role of climate, biotic interactions, and demographic lags in constraining range and community shifts, the drivers of Alpine wildflower phenology, and the use of community science for collecting ecological data and engaging the general public. We conduct projects and maintain long-term monitoring studies in forest and Alpine field sites in the USA (Washington State) and Switzerland. We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity in all our activities, as well as to conducting open and collaborative science. Please see our website for more information on activities in the research group.

Funding is provided for four years of PhD studies, and starts at 52,500 CHF / year (before taxes), as is standard in the Department of Environmental Systems Sciences (USYS) at ETH Zürich. All members of the Plant Ecology Group contribute to teaching and mentoring Bachelors and Masters students. Please see this website for more information on the doctoral program in the Department of Environmental Systems Sciences (USYS), within which the Plant Ecology Group is located.

Outstanding research groups at ETH Zürich, the adjacent University of Zürich, WSL (the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research) and EAWAG (the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) offer numerous opportunities for interaction and collaboration. Zürich is a cosmopolitan city with high living standards and easy access to forested and alpine research sites, outdoor activities and the rest of Europe.