PhD Candidate

**Job Description**
The PhD work focuses on the assessment and valuation of outdoor forest-based recreation (OFR) in forest ecosystems under natural and human stress. This research aims to define an improved evaluation approach for OFR, quantify its value in Luxembourg, estimate the impact of forest disturbances on OFR supply and value, and compare these findings with other ecosystem services (ES) within the FORFUS DTU. The methodology will involve new survey-based approaches, including revealed and stated preferences, spatial analysis to identify recreational hotspots, and benefit transfer methodologies for other ES valuation.

**Skills & Abilities**
• Strong interest in terrestrial ecosystems modelling, vegetation demography, plant physiology, and climate change.
• Experience in numerical modelling, big data analysis, and plant ecological and physiological processes (desirable).
• Proficiency in modelling, model-data integration, data analysis, and working with High-Performance Computing (HPC).
• Essential scripting and programming experience.
• Ability to work effectively in a team, explaining and presenting research ideas and results.
• Basic computer skills (Word, Excel etc.).
• Proficiency in statistical analysis.
• Data handling, processing, and modelling skills.
• Familiarity with GIS tools (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS is a plus).
• Proficiency in Python scripting for data analysis and automation (plus).
• Fluent in communicating and explaining research.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Open to engaging in dialogue and discussion.
• Affinity for teaching and writing.
• Fluency in English (both oral and written).
• Fluency in French (both oral and written) is an asset.
• Other relevant languages are an asset.

**Qualifications**
Required Degree(s) in:
• Environmental Sciences
• Ecological Economics
• Environmental Engineering

**Experience**
Other:
• Education or proven work/research activities (e.g., research papers) in:
• Assessing and monetizing ecosystem services, including design and implementation of stated-preference surveys (e.g., contingent valuation, choice experiments) and analysis of revealed-preference data (e.g., hedonic pricing, travel-cost methods).
• Forestry or forest ecosystems.
• Eco-tourism.
• Environmental behaviour.
• Spatial analysis applied to territorial/regional planning.
• Master diploma must be recognized in Luxembourg.

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