12 month postdoctoral position "Modeling micrometeorology in agroforestry systems"

INRAE; France; Sur place; EUR 35 000 - 45 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A research institution in France is seeking a Postdoc in Environmental Science to study agroforestry's impact on microclimates. Successful candidates will have a PhD in Physics, experience in numerical modeling, and excellent English skills. This position offers a chance to contribute to innovative research addressing climate change and biodiversity challenges. Apply by email and join a dynamic research environment.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in Physics (Research Field Physics).
• Experience in large-eddy simulations or radiation modelling in complex canopy.
• Motivated by working in a research environment.

Responsabilités

• Study the impact of shade trees in agroforestry systems on wind and turbulent exchanges.
• Use innovative modeling to predict microclimate and mitigate extreme weather.
• Join the YSYS team to conduct research on soil-plant-atmosphere interactions.

Connaissances

Excellent writing skills

Fluent in English

Rigor

Autonomous

Creative

Formation

PhD or equivalent in Physics

PhD in numerical fluid mechanics or atmospheric modelling

Outils

Large-eddy simulations

Radiation modelling

Description du poste

Organisation/Company INRAE Department ECODIV-AgroEcoSystems Research Field Physics Environmental science Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Postdoc Positions Country France Application Deadline 30 Nov 2025 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38:40 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Agroforestry, which combines trees and crops, is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. This practice offers numerous environmental benefits in a context marked by climate change and declining biodiversity. Agroforestry is particularly seen as a strategy for mitigating the effects of climate change on crops, by buffering extreme temperatures and limiting water loss. However, the benefits of agroforestry on the microclimate remain difficult to quantify experimentally and numerically due to the spatial variability of the microclimate within an agroforestry system and the existence of antagonistic processes. Nevertheless, successfully predicting the microclimate within an agroforestry system is essential for optimizing tree distribution, with the aim of maximizing yields while limiting inputs and mitigating the environmental dispersion of contaminants.

The objective of this postdoctoral fellowship is to study the impact of shade trees in agroforestry systems on wind, turbulent exchanges, etc. in order to predict the microclimate, the dispersion-propagation processes of biotic/abiotic particles, etc., and thus quantify the capacity of agroforestry systems to mitigate extreme weather events (heat waves, droughts, storms) and limit the spread of disease. To do this, the postdoc will use innovative modeling based on the coupling of (1) a meteorological model adapted to the fine spatial scales of these systems and explicitly simulating turbulent structures, and (2) a multilayer model estimating mass (water, CO2) and energy fluxes in plant cover. One of the main challenges of this modeling will be to take into account radiation within a complex three-dimensional canopy, where tree distribution varies greatly in space.

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).

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

• PhD or equivalent in Physics (Research Field Physics)
• PhD in numerical fluid mechanics or atmospheric modelling
• Experience in large-eddy simulations or radiation modelling in complex canopy
• Rigorous, autonomous, creative and motivated by working in a research environment
• Excellent writing skills, fluent in English