PhD in remote sensing of New Zealand’s forested environments for forest assessment, management, and monitoring

Position Description

The University of Canterbury’s School of Forestry is seeking applications for a PhD research project. While there is room for the candidate to help define the project, the research topic will involve novel and innovative uses and analysis of remotely sensed imagery (aerial photography, satellite imagery, LiDAR data) for forest assessment, management, and monitoring in New Zealand. New Zealand has a mixture of native (6.5 million hectares) and planted (1.7 million hectares) forests and its cities have extensive urban forests. Application areas for research may include forest productivity estimation, carbon stock estimation, or forest monitoring comprising area change, species diversity and forest health (pest/disease).

Ideal candidate

Candidates with interests in remote sensing of planted forests, natural forests, and urban forests are encouraged to apply. Candidates should have a strong background in remote sensing, GIS, and statistics. The candidate will hold either a four-year Bachelor’s degree (with Honours) or a Master’s degree with an A- average. The candidate’s previous degree should be in forestry, remote sensing, or a related field. Demonstrated evidence of publishing is highly desirable. Good written and spoken communication skills, in the English language, are essential. The University of Canterbury has strict admission criteria for candidates who have not completed their previous degree in a country where English is the predominant language (see http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/enrol/international/english/).

Working environment

The candidate should expect to be based at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. The candidate will work closely with their primary supervisor, a post-doctoral researcher, and a diverse team of other PhD and Master’s students in the School’s Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis Lab. PhD students will have access to cutting-edge data collection technology and processing software.

Remuneration

Scholarships to cover tuition and cost of living are available.

How to apply

Send a CV and cover letter to Dr. Justin Morgenroth ([Email Address Removed]). Candidates may be asked to provide supporting documents at a later stage.

Timeline

Applications will be assessed as they are received and candidates will be notified of the outcome of their application as soon as possible.

Contact

For more information, please contact Dr. Justin Morgenroth ([Email Address Removed]).