Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies

Can continuous cover forestry benefit the diversity and function of ectomycorrhizal and wood fungi assemblages?

Are you interested in species conservation, forest ecology and sustainable forest management? This Post doc position offer an opportunity to work with these questions through studies of fungi and continuous cover forestry in boreal forest landscapes.

Boreal forests are a key resource for Sweden’s bio-based economy while also providing other important ecosystem services related to climate change mitigation and biodiversity. However, biodiversity goals are not met and many species, especially those dependent on deadwood, have declined due to current forestry practices. Maintaining forest biodiversity under future climatic changes, projected to progress most rapidly in the boreal region, will require adaptive management strategies. For this purpose, a transformation from traditional Rotation Forestry (RF), i.e. even-aged stands based on forest clear-cutting, towards Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) strategies is currently debated as a way forward to increase environmental benefits and climate resilience. The major limitation in this debate is however the lack of comprehensive empirical data which is a prerequisite for developing well-constrained strategies to benefit biodiversity and its ecosystem services.

About the position

In this project the post doc will evaluate how an important part of forest biodiversity, i.e. wood decay fungi, respond to RF and CCF. We aim to evaluate species distributions, occurrences and assemblage composition of ectomycorrhizal fungi and wood fungi in CCF and RF. Furthermore, we aim to investigate how fungal species traits and phylogeny contribute to the ecosystem function in CCF and RF. The hands-on working tasks include field and lab work, data analysis and scientific writing. The post doc will be part of a larger research programme covering effects on climate and biodiversity.

Your profile

Qualifications

Doctoral degree in biology or equivalent. Good knowledge in forest ecology, fungal ecology and statistics as well as field and lab work experience and taxonomic knowledge is meriting. The applicant must be highly motivated and be able to work independently as well as a part of the research group. The candidate must have excellent English skills both in writing and orally. Drivers licence is desirable.

About us

The position is based at the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies at The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Umeå, Sweden. The department offers a creative and stimulating environment and perform internationally recognised basic and applied research, education and environmental monitoring in the areas of biodiversity restoration and conservation, fish biology, wildlife ecology and zoonosis. The department has a large proportion of international employees and well established national and international cooperation which gives opportunities for fruitful exchange.

For more information about the department or division visit: Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies | slu.se

Location:

Umeå

Place of work: Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental studies, SLU, Umeå

Form of employment:

This is a 2 year stipend (scholarship) postdoc awarded through the Kempe Foundation.

Scope:

100%

Start date:

During autumn 2026.

Application:

Please submit your application before deadline 17 September 2026. You can submit your application by clicking the button below.

To apply:

Please send a CV, publication list, PhD diploma, copies of up to three relevant publications and a motivation letter (max. 2 pages) outlining previous research, current research interests and other activities of relevance for the position. Names and contact information of at least two reference persons are also required. All application documents should be written in English.

Information about living and working in Sweden:

https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/16119/17/stephan_k_stephan_j_190506.pdf

https://sites.google.com/view/slupostdocs/useful-info/sweden#h.p_4gO5lPVuAQgB

Union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/

 

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden. SLU has around 4,000 employees, 6,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 4,5 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.