Junior research scientist in forest functional ecology in conditions of multiple disturbances

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INRAE presentation

INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, is a public research organization bringing together 12,000 employees across 272 units in 18 centers across France. As the world’s leading institute specializing in agriculture, food, and the environment, INRAE plays a key role in supporting the necessary transitions to address global challenges.

Faced with population growth, food security challenges, climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss, INRAE is committed to developing scientific solutions and supporting the evolution of agricultural, food, and environmental practices.

INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.

Work environment, missions and activities

You will work within the ISPA joint research unit, which comprises 61 permanent staff and numerous PhD students and post-doctoral researchers, employed by INRAE and Bordeaux Sciences Agro. The research conducted by ISPA aims to understand the interactions between soil, plants, and the atmosphere in anthropised, agricultural and forest ecosystems in a context of global change. One part of our research project aims to understand, analyse, and model the ecological processes controlling the short- and long-term trajectories of forest ecosystems, taking into account the interactions between environmental changes and management practices.
The environment is undergoing changes marked by disturbances (fires, droughts, heatwaves, storms, floods, diseases, etc.) caused by extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and intense. This context renders obsolete the references on which forestry stakeholders rely, making it necessary to anticipate the future functioning of forests and their sensitivity to the physical environment. Understanding the effects of the frequency and intensity of disturbances and managing the risks involved, requires consideration of the functional organisation of forests across spatial and temporal dimensions, the effect of the composition and diversity of forest biocenoses, and the interactions between forests and other landscape elements. Your research project will therefore aim to model the consequences of multiple and repeated environmental disturbances, and their interactions with management practices, on the functioning of forest ecosystems in France and Europe (plant growth, biogeochemical cycles).
Modelling, combined with in situ data analysis, will be a key tool for analysing the functioning and future trajectories of forest ecosystems subject to multiple and repeated disturbances. You will be able to draw on existing mechanistic models (Musica, CAPSIS, GO+) based on functional ecology and ecophysiological processes, which describe the responses of forest ecosystems to their environment and can represent different methods of forest management. You will develop and integrate formalisms to account for the effects of disturbances on different ecosystem functions in the short and long term. You will use experimental data collected by the unit, as well as forest inventories data (IGN, ICP Forests), data from in situ (ICOS, eLTER) or ex situ (dendroecology) observation networks, and even remote sensing products. The initial project will focus on modelling forest production under the effect of disturbance regimes (frequency-intensity), storms, droughts or heat waves in relation to some current standards of forest management in order to understand and analyse the trajectories of forest stands in response to these disturbances. You will contribute to improving the consideration of these disturbances and their frequency in functional models, and to improving decision-making tools designed to adapt forest management methods to climate change. To achieve this, you will have access to retrospective data available on the annual growth dynamics of forest stands under different management methods, as well as the forest functioning models developed by the unit.
You will also benefit from the expertise of ISPA researchers in ecophysiology, biogeochemistry and forest management to analyse the complexity of these interactions. Your research falls within a broad collaborative network involving researchers in ecophysiology and specialists in the study of ecosystem vulnerability and resilience, who participate in programmes on this theme in France (Metaprogrammes CLIMAE and XRISQUES, PEPR FairCarboN and FORESTT) and abroad.

Training and skills

Competition open to candidates with a PhD (or equivalent).
A PhD (or equivalent) in functional ecology with solid experience in modelling is highly recommended. Experience or knowledge of forestry management would be appreciated.
Candidates should have a good command of English, and long-term international experience would also be desirable. Successful candidates who have not yet acquired this experience abroad will be required to do so after their probationary period (1st year).

Your future role explained in video

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE. 

How to apply

1. I download the applicant guide Guide for applicants 2026 pdf - 1.41 MB
2. I write down the profile number CR26-ECODIV-1
3. I apply GO