Doctoral Researcher in Functional Community Ecology / Meta-Ecosystems

Job description

The Ecological Synthesis Group (ESG), led by University Researcher Dr. Caio Graco-Roza , invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher (PhD student) to join the research group at the Lammi Biological Station , University of Helsinki, Finland. The position will start at the earliest in March 2026 , or as agreed. The doctoral researcher will be offered a full-time fixed-term contract for three years . A trial period of six months will apply. Position description: Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are increasingly shaped by interactions across ecosystem boundaries, yet the mechanisms linking terrestrial and aquatic communities remain poorly understood. This doctoral position is part of the TRACE – Trait Responses Across Connected Ecosystems project (2025–2028), funded by the Research Council of Finland. The TRACE project has a broad focus on understanding connectivity between forest and lake ecosystems using functional traits , with particular emphasis on trait dimensions related to tolerance, movement, and interaction . By integrating multi-taxa field data, trait-based ecology, experiments, and advanced statistical analyses, TRACE aims to uncover how ecological processes p...