Project Overview:
Declining snow cover duration and increasing summer temperatures in recent decades have significantly impacted
critical processes in high-elevation ecosystems, such as rock weathering, soil microbial activity, and primary
productivity. In particular, we have observed an unexpected and disproportionate greening of sparsely vegetated, late
snow-melting sites. However, the underlying mechanisms driving this greening remain unclear. This research aims to
understand how local factors that alleviate nutrient limitations in high-elevation barren landscapes could contribute to
spatially heterogeneous soil development and vegetation growth. By focusing on petrogenic nutrients released by
bedrock weathering, we will examine their role in soil nutrient bioavailability and their relationship with identified
greening hotspots in the Roche Noire eLTER site.
This internship will focus on:
1. Analyzing data from 42 soil samples collected at different depths (from topsoil to bedrock) across three
mountain habitats defined by their snowmelt period. The aim is to link data from different disciplines to assess
how nutrient (N and P) abundance, availability, and sources vary with depth and snow persistence.
2. Investigating how soil microbial communities drive or respond to nutrient availability and abundance. This will
involve analyzing microbial investment in nutrient acquisition through enzyme activity data and metagenomic
data. In addition, laboratory microcosm experiments will be conducted by adding nutrients to soils to identify
potential nutrient limitations for microbial functioning under different ecological contexts (soil development
and greening hotspots, snow regime and soil depth)
Responsibilities:
The successful candidate will join a dynamic and interdisciplinary research team and will primarily focus on laboratory
experiments, and associated data treatment, interpretation, and scientific valorization. You will assist in relating these
results to a larger dataset encompassing previous field campaigns and laboratory experiments. Your tasks will include:
• Laboratory work: The preparation of microcosm experiments (scaling and design, initial physico-chemical
properties), their supervision (including respiration measurements), and final analysis (e.g. enzymatic activity
measurements).
• Data analysis: Use uni- and multivariate statistics to link microbial communities (metagenomics), soil properties
(texture, pH, nutrients), enzyme activity, and petrogenic inputs to soil development and greening hotspots.
• Scientific valorization: Contribute to scientific discussions, reports, publications, and presentations.
• Work alongside researchers with expertise in pedology, microbiology, ecology, and geochemistry, gaining
exposure to a variety of scientific approaches.
Required skills and qualifications:
• Enrollment in a Master 2 program in Environmental Science, Geosciences, or a related field.
• Strong interest in high-elevation ecosystems and critical zone research.
• No prerequisite is needed, since you’ll be trained to all approaches involved in this internship
project. However, experience in laboratory work and/or proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools
(e.g., R, Python, or similar) is a plus.
• Strong communication skills, with an ability to synthesize and present complex data.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team.
Le contenu de cette offre est la responsabilité de ses auteurs. Pour toute question relative à cette offre en particulier (date, lieu, mode de candidature, etc.), merci de les contacter directement. Un email de contact est disponible: jeremy.puissant@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
Pour toute autre question, vous pouvez contacter sfecodiff@sfecologie.org.
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