Post-doc Position at INRA (France)

Background :

Process-based simulation models are a useful tool to evaluate green
house gas inventories of agricultural systems and the effects of
changing agricultural practices on both yield and the environment. They
therefore have a unique potential to predict N2O emissions from arable
soils on both the plot-scale and regional/continental scales. These
mechanistic models have the advantage of accounting for the variability
of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils as well as
the interaction with climate. However, their parameterisation is still a
challenge. The use and development of these models in the perspective of
spatial extrapolation is limited by the availability of spatially
explicit measurements of soil properties and N2O fluxes but also by the
knowledge of typical agricultural practices used. The question of the
validity of obtained results and their associated uncertainty is often
not sufficiently assessed even though it is fundamental in the decision
making process.

The Environment and arable crops laboratory is a joint research unit
between the French national institute of agricultural sciences (INRA), a
leading public research organization in the field of agricultural and
environmental sciences, and AgroParisTech, the Paris technology
institute of food, life and environmental sciences. It is located at
Grignon (40 kms west of Paris). Its research foci include both the
measurement and modelling of biosphere-atmosphere exchanges of carbon
and reactive N trace-gases, and the environmental assessment of arable
crops and bioenergy chains.

Job description :

Tthe objective of the proposed post-doctoral work is to evaluate how one
can use N2O emission data collected in laboratory conditions as well as
in the field to parameterise the N2O emission module used in the
CERES-EGC ecosystem model as a first step. In a second stage, a thorough
evaluation of the model will be conducted using data collected in a
measurement network on different agricultural systems, in different
sites in France and to deduce the uncertainty related to the simulations
using a Bayesian approach. Tests on experimental data will also be used
to introduce the effects of soil manipulation on N2O emissions.

The candidate is also expected to valorise his work by publication in
peer reviewed journals.

The recruited candidate will be based in the Environment and Arable
crops unit (EGC) in Grignon and more precisely will be part of the
biosphere-atmosphere research team which primarily focuses on the
measurement and modelling of fluxes of green house gases and atmospheric
pollutants between agro-ecosystems and the atmosphere. The privileged
spatial scales run from the agricultural field (few hectares) to the
region (several km2) with some measurements done in controlled
laboratory conditions. The applicant will benefit from local expertise
on crop simulation models more specifically the CERES-EGC model. He/she
will also benefit from ongoing projects with the GES-N2O UMT as well as
from collaborations both at the national and European scales with teams
that are widely known in their expertise on modelling N2O emissions
namely: Agroimpact in Laon, the Soil Science Unit in Orléans and the
Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research-Atmospheric Environmental
Research (IMK-IFU) in Germany. He/she will have access to local and
European databases (for example the CASDAR NO-GAS measurement network,
the Nitroeurope, InGOS and Eclaire integrated projects).

Requirements: applicants should possess a Doctoral degree in
agricultural or Environmental sciences or equivalent experience in research
Expertise in Biogeochemical cycles and agriculture, experience in
modeling and statistics, taste for data analysis, and scientific rigour.
Knowledge of procedural programming languages (eg Fortran) would be
appreciated.

4. Working conditions

Condition of employment: gross salary per month : 2220 EUR.

Start date: January 1st, 2012

Duration of contract: 1 year, with possible extension to 2012.

Location: Thiverval-Grignon (in the Paris area).

Candidates should send a resume, motivation letter and references to :

Benoît GABRIELLE
E-mail:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. " target="_blank" style="color: rgb(28, 81, 168); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; ">Benoit.Gabrielle@agroparistech.fr   / Phone: (00 33) 1 30 81 55 51
UMR INRA AgroParisTech Environnement et grandes cultures
78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France

Web site: http://www.versailles-grignon.inra.fr/egc/