Research Scientist – Forest Ecology

Who we are

Forest Research (FR) is a trusted and recognised provider of applied forest science, routinely
leading ambitious and innovative applied science projects. We have a fantastic reputation for
delivering world-class research that is regularly published in leading scientific journals. We
are now at an exciting point of research expansion in the field of forest biodiversity
research. We have secured funding for a new cross-agency and GB-wide project to describe the
biodiversity associated with different forest types (commercial and non-commercial). This will
be building on detailed National Forest Inventory (NFI) sample plot data collected at regular
intervals in a representative selection of forests across GB. The development of novel forest
biodiversity monitoring methods using recent technological advances (i.e., soundscapes, DNA
metabarcoding) offer new ways of describing forest-biodiversity associations. These promise to
revolutionise biomonitoring and support action to address the Biodiversity Crisis by allowing
for more direct (as opposed to surrogate) measures of biodiversity. It is here that you could
find a stimulating challenge and make a significant positive contribution.

The work you will be doing

With the support of the NFI team and a statistician, you will have a chance to make a
significant contribution to improving our understanding of the biodiversity associated with
different GB forest types by co-designing an experimental survey and standardised assessments
aimed at collecting novel representative forest species datasets. You will have the opportunity
to work closely with acoustic monitoring specialists and molecular ecologists to explore and
apply novel applications of species detection. As a member of a multi-disciplinary team, your
work to help us identify forest species and assess the shape of communities that are resident
in forest soils, vegetation layers and the forest canopy in different forest types will
contribute directly to better informed forest management and planning for forest biodiversity
gains and ecosystem resilience. Thanks to a combination of your own analysis of quantitative
and qualitative ecological datasets, specialist surveyors and the full support of commercial
labs who are equipped to process DNA samples at scale, we will be able to better define forest
biodiversity by forest types on a scale that has never before been attempted.

Your skills and expertise

You will be self-motivated, have excellent communication, writing and organisation skills and
be capable of both working alone and as part of a team. With experience of conducting ecology
research, we will expect you to have a postgraduate degree in a relevant field such as ecology,
environmental science, or forest science. Crucially, you will also have well-developed skills
in handling, analysing, modelling, and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data and a
good understanding of experimental design.

What we can offer

Join us in this stimulating role, and you will have the chance to make a tangible impact on the
future of the UK’s forests and resident species – plus benefit from plenty of learning
opportunities so that you can continue developing your expertise in this fascinating field. And
while job satisfaction is an important part of what we can offer, you will also find a friendly
and inclusive workplace in which you can find a great work-life balance thanks to hybrid
working options. You will benefit from 35.5 days of annual leave inclusive of public holidays,
and access to a desirable civil service pension scheme.

Closing date: March 13 2024.
Interview date: Week commencing 18 or 25 March 2024.