Postdoctoral Research Associate

Climate change vulnerability and climate refugia for amphibians across the U.S. National Park System

The University of Montana invites applications for a Research Associate to work under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Eby (University of Montana) in collaboration with the National Park Service (Dr. Andrew Ray) and US Geological Survey (Dr. Blake Hossack). The Research Associate will have to primary tasks of (1) completing a climate change vulnerability analysis (CCVA) and mapping of climate refugia mapping for amphibians on NPS lands in the continental U.S. and (2) synthesizing data from amphibian monitoring programs in national parks to evaluate responses to climate covariates and provide guidelines on designing more efficient monitoring programs.  Funding is currently available for 2 years, but is contingent on satisfactory performance. The principal investigators are seeking a 3rd year of funding to expand the project. Please see below for expanded description of the research.  A more detailed description of tasks for this project are below.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in wildlife biology, ecology, biology, or a similar field. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of the scientific process including both the scientific method and its application to ecological research.
• Proven ability to conduct scientific literature reviews, collect and manage databases and data sets, and ability to conduct analysis of complex, quantitative ecological data.
• Practical statistical analysis experience with statistical programming languages like R, R Markdown, Python, and/or GitHub.
• Experience in writing progress reports for funding agencies and managing scientific databases.
• Ability to work both independently and with a collaborative team using strong interpersonal skills, including strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work in an office setting and to work collaboratively with other project and agency partners.
• Demonstrated ability to present research results and project impacts to broad audiences (written and oral).
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in GIS and the processing/analysis of remotely sensed data and familiarity with large data repositories (e.g., Google Earth Engine).
• Experience conducting analysis of complex, quantitative ecological data. In particular, the candidate will have to work with large spatial datasets (e.g., gridded landcover data and climate projections) and conduct multi-species occupancy modeling using program R.
• Strong record of research, including experience leading peer-reviewed publications in high quality journals.
• Ability to travel for up to 7 days consecutively, both in state and out of state as needed to work with collaborators and local biologists. We do not expect much travel will be required.

Additional Information

Office space is available on the University of Montana (Missoula) campus. There might also be office space available at NPS facilities in Santa Fe (NM), Las Cruces (NM), Tucson (AZ), or at other NPS office locations. We will consider candidates who are stationed remotely if they have a demonstrated track record of productivity.

The position is full-time, 1.0 FTE-Letter of Appointment and includes a comprehensive and competitive benefits package including health insurance, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program. The salary range for this position is $62,000 to $65,000 per year (year 1) commensurate with qualifications and includes a small increase in year 2.

Project Tasks

Task 1: Continental U.S.-scale climate change vulnerability analysis (CCVA) and mapping of climate refugia mapping for amphibians on NPS lands

Climate change and habitat loss are major drivers of amphibian declines, making national parks and other protected areas increasingly essential to conserve amphibian biodiversity. Despite the added level of protection offered by NPS lands, the boundaries of national parks do not automatically protect species from the impacts of climate change or even habitat loss. Some amphibians may already be directly threatened by climate changes (e.g., Jemez Mountains Salamander, Shenandoah Salamander), and many rely on climate-sensitive, non-permanent aquatic habitats for reproduction.

 We will characterize the relative climate change vulnerabilities of all amphibian species on NPS lands in the conterminous USA. A recent review indicated national parks provide habitat for 230 of the 354-amphibian species (65%) of species present in the U.S. Of the amphibian species on NPS lands, 17% are considered at-risk globally and 20% were not categorized, often due to data deficiencies (LaFrance et al. 2024a). To conduct the CCVA, we will use species distributions and life history traits (e.g., range size, habitat specificity, and reproductive capacity) that influence vulnerability and capacity to adapt to change. Relying on common life history traits will allow us to include data deficient species that might otherwise be excluded from a CCVA.

 We will also identify likely climate refugia within NPS lands based on landscape diversity (including topographic features) and projected changes in temperature and moisture (LaFrance et al. 2024b). To ensure our results capture the range of possible climate futures and have strong management relevance, we will evaluate outcomes from future climate scenarios that represent divergent climate outcomes (e.g., warm and wet vs hot and dry) in the near future (e.g., 2040‒2060).

Expected outcome: A peer-reviewed paper led by the post-doc in which we identify which species are most vulnerable to expected climate changes, determine areas most likely to serve as climate refugia, and provide information to natural resource managers about which species are highest priorities for immediate conservation action.

Task 2: Synthesize data from NPS-led amphibian monitoring to evaluate responses to climate 

Research and monitoring in national parks was central to revealing the scale and scope of past amphibian declines and has helped establish the role of climate in contributing to past declines. Through the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division, several networks as well as individual parks conduct long-term monitoring of amphibian populations directly (e.g., Great Lakes Network, Greater Yellowstone Network, Gulf Coast Network, Mediterranean Coast Network; see https://www.nps.gov/im/networks.htm). We will analyze and synthesize select multi-year datasets from park networks to estimate responses by amphibian communities (e.g., multi-species occupancy models) to climate and habitat characteristics and to characterize trends in occupancy. 

Expected outcomes: A peer-reviewed paper led by the post-doc that describes how climate drivers and other important covariates influence dynamics of amphibian populations in national parks with NPS-led monitoring programs. We will also provide future perspectives for monitoring and analyses. We will also provide recommendations to existing monitoring programs on how they improve efficiency and effectiveness of monitoring and changes that may facilitate future integration of datasets across park networks to simplify continental-scale analyses and syntheses.

Task 3 (potential): A national, climate-informed action plan for amphibian conservation and monitoring on NPS lands

We will develop recommendations for a national, NPS-focused amphibian monitoring and management program that is climate-focused and informed by the CCVA and climate refugia results described in Task 1. This plan will develop a framework for scaling ongoing inventory and monitoring programs to cover the species identified as the most vulnerable to climate change. The plan will provide an overview of threats that may be intensified by climate change as well as an overview of strategies that support amphibian conservation (e.g., habitat restoration, invasive species control, reintroductions) at park, regional, and national scales. The plan will be supported by case studies from parks and other protected areas.  

Other project partners include: Ben LaFrance (NPS), Mike Tercek (Walking Shadow Ecology), Andy Hubbard (NPS)

LaFrance et al. 2024a. A dataset of amphibian species occurrence in U.S. National Parks. Scientific Data  11:32 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02836-2.

LaFrance et al. 2024b. Amphibian richness, rarity, threats, and conservation prospects across the U.S. National Park System. npj Biodiversity | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44185-024-00067-1.

Dr. Lisa Eby: lisa.eby@mso.umt.edu

Dr. Andrew Ray: andrewray@nps.gov

Dr. Blake Hossack: blake_hossack@usgs.gov