Doctoral student in ecosystem water vapor exchange

The Grassland Sciences Group is a vibrant and international working group at the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich. We are looking for a reliable, enthusiastic, and highly motivated doctoral student with a passion for science to join our team. Our research focuses on the process- and system-understanding of the biosphere-atmosphere greenhouse gas exchange and its drivers in forests and agroecosystems, in response to management and climate.

This position is part of the project Effect of climate and management on evapotranspiration in agricultural ecosystems (ECOVAP) funded by the ETH Grants programme. The aim of this project is to evaluate and partition evapotranspiration in Swiss agroecosystems along a management and climate gradient and to assess the influence of extreme events, such as droughts, on the ecosystem water vapor exchange. We will use eddy covariance to quantify the ecosystem water vapor exchange using measurements from the Swiss FluxNet as well as data on the plot scale from lysimeter and dendrometer measurements. Data analyses will be conducted using statistical and machine learning models including random forest models and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) analyses. This project will improve our knowledge on the mechanisms of evapotranspiration in agroecosystems with an interdisciplinary approach (micrometeorology, ecophysiology and agricultural sciences), relevant for sustainable agriculture in a changing climate.

The doctoral project will focus on the effect of climate and management on evapotranspiration in grasslands and croplands. The doctoral student will work on:

1. the partitioning and drivers of evapotranspiration from plot to ecosystem scale
2. the effect of drought on evapotranspiration and water use efficiency
3. the assessment of evapotranspiration under future climate

The main tasks of the doctoral student include:

• fieldwork and plant ecophysiological measurements
• eddy covariance data analyses and processing
• maintenance of a grassland flux measurement station in Switzerland

The full-time position is funded for 4 years. Salary and social benefits are provided according to ETH Zurich rules.

Upon starting, you must have a completed Master’s degree in atmospheric sciences, environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, ecology, or a closely related science field with experiences in micrometeorology, biogeochemistry, and/or plant ecophysiology. You must have good statistical skills, experience with fieldwork, and programming experience (e.g. in R or Python). A good standard of written and spoken English as well as a driver’s license are mandatory. Good writing skills and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment are expected.

• Your career with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society.
• We are actively committed to a sustainable and climate-neutral university.
• You can expect numerous benefits, such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare and attractive pension benefits.