Job Description

Mission

Tree Acclimation and Mortality under Long-Term Heat and Drought Stress

We are looking for a motivated technician to join the project "From Survival to Resilience: Acclimation as a Lifeline for European Forests under Climate Change". This research is being conducted at WSL in Birmensdorf (Zurich), in collaboration with EPFL and INRAE, and focuses on understanding how long-term exposure to warming and drought influences the mechanisms underlying tree mortality and resilience.

The position will be based at WSL Birmensdorf, with occasional visits to EPFL during the summer. Most of the work will be conducted in the "Modoek" experimental facility, where beech and oak seedlings have been exposed to chronic warming and drought since 2019. The project aims to compare how acclimated trees die, focusing on trajectories, timing, and physiological thresholds.

Main duties and responsibilities

The technician will contribute to intensive monitoring of trees until mortality occurs. Key tasks will include:
Measuring gas exchange and leaf water potential during stress progression. Monitoring cell damage in plant tissues. Sampling tissues to assess non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) dynamics.

Profile

Study environmental sciences, ecology, plant physiology, biology, environmental engineering, or a related field Enjoy fieldwork and teamwork Are motivated, rigorous, and curious about plant responses to climate extremes Have a driving license (helpful but not essential)

We offer

Hands-on experience in forest ecophysiology and climate change research. Training in ecophysiological measurements and field instrumentation. Integration into an active, international research team at WSL and EPFL. Opportunity to contribute to high-impact scientific publications. A technician's salary at 80% (part-time).

Informations

Contract Start Date : Spring or early summer 2026

Activity Rate : 80%

Contract Type: CDD

Duration: 4-6 months

Reference: 1943

Contact: charlotte.grossiord@epfl.ch and arianna.milano@epfl.ch