Postdoc position: Modeling micrometeorology in agroforestry systems

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INRAE presentation

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science. It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.

Work environment, missions and activities

• Agroforestry has been attracting increasing interest in Europe in recent decades after a decline due to increasing mechanization and intensive farming. This interest is explained by the ecosystem benefits induced by trees associated with crops in a context of climate change and biodiversity loss. Several studies have shown that agroforestry allows to optimize environmental resources while maintaining or improving plot production. Agroforestry is often proposed as a strategy to (1) mitigate climate change by buffering air temperature and reducing moisture lost from crops, (2) improve biodiversity conservation by combining different plant species, (3) enhance carbon sequestration, (4) reduce soil erosion by wind, or (5) improve nutrient availability. Agroforestry is also being studied as an alternative to chemical control of diseases and pests. The trees increase the abundance of natural enemies of diseases and pests (D&P), act as a physical barrier to the spread of D&P, and induce microclimatic conditions at the crop level that limit the development of D&P
• Unlike conventional monocultures, agroforestry systems are characterized by a complex spatial heterogeneity that differs between systems depending on the combination of plant species, vertical (multiple strata) and horizontal distribution of trees, system management, etc. This spatial heterogeneity of agroforestry systems makes it difficult to predict the characteristics of turbulent wind within the systems, and thus the microclimate and dispersion of particles or organisms (spores, pollen, insects...). Few studies have focused on the impact of turbulent wind in agroforestry systems on turbulent exchanges of heat, moisture or biotic/abiotic particles. Yet, these exchanges play a major role (1) on the microclimate within agroforestry systems and their ability to mitigate climatic extremes, and (2) on the dispersal of diseases or pesticides.
• The objective of this PostDoc is to study the impact of shade trees in agroforestry systems on wind, turbulent exchanges... in order to predict the microclimate, dispersion-propagation processes of biotic/abiotic particles... and thus to quantify the capacity of agroforestry systems to mitigate climatic extremes (heat waves, droughts, storms) and limit the spread of diseases.
• You will be in charge of conducting and analyzing numerical simulations of micrometeorology within an agroforestry system under various meteorological conditions. To do so, you will use an innovative modeling approach based on the coupling between (1) a meteorological model adapted to the fine spatial scales of these systems and explicitly simulating turbulent structures, and (2) a multilayer model estimating the mass (water, CO2) and energy fluxes in the vegetation cover.
• The originality of your research will consist of simulating the turbulent character of micrometeorological fields in order to understand the exchange mechanisms and interactions between spatial scales related to shade trees and underlying crops.
• You will be welcomed in the ISPA unit (Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Interactions), which conducts research on the interactions of soil, plants, and the atmosphere within agricultural and forest ecosystems affected by disruptions due to global changes. Within the unit, you will join the YSYS (PhYSique à l'interface des EcoSystèmes) team, whose research deals with issues involving turbulent wind, micro-meteorology, and material transfers (water vapour, CO2, biotic and abiotic particles), as well as energy transfers on various spatial scales, including landscape, ranging from a few meters to several kilometres. The YSYS team relies on field experiments and numerical models of atmospheric flow. YSYS has gained considerable expertise in modelling micrometeorology on a landscape scale with high spatial resolution by explicitly simulating turbulent exchanges using an LES approach (Large-Eddy Simulations).

Training and skills

• Recommended training: PhD in numerical fluid mechanics or atmospheric modelling, with an experience in large-eddy simulations
• Knowledge required: programming under Linux environment
• Appreciated experience: large-eddy simulation, Fortran programming
• Skills sought: Rigorous, autonomous, creative and motivated by working in a research environment; Excellent writing skills, fluent in English

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from (depending on the type of contract and its duration):

- up to 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.

How to apply

I send my CV and my motivation letter