Postdoctoral Fellowship within the FAPESP Thematic Project – Biota Cerrado on Fire (Brazil)

Postdoctoral Fellowship within the FAPESP Thematic Project – Biota Cerrado on Fire (Brazil) Fire as a tool for management and restoration in the Cerrado in the Anthropocene

Project Title: When and how often should we burn the Cerrado? A functional approach

Supervisor: Dr. Alessandra Fidelis

Host Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP/Rio Claro

Applications open from: 25th October 2025 to 30th November 2025

Duration: 3 years

Start date: February 2026

Summary:

Fire is considered one of the most important ecological factors affecting plant community composition and structure in different flammable ecosystems in the world. Since plants are adapted to the fire regime, changes in fire frequency and season may lead to drastic changes in above- and belowground plant communities. Savannas are disturbance-driven systems and the savannas found in the Cerrado have evolved in the presence of fire for the last millions of years. Therefore, plants in the Cerrado show fire-adapted strategies to cope with frequent fire events. Most of the species resprout from belowground bud-bearing organs, flowering profusely after fire. However, germination has a lower importance in these systems. Fire exclusion leads to changes in plant communities’ structure and composition, by increasing the cover of woody species, that shade grasses and forbs, shifting the community from a open to a close state. The open state is rich in plant species in the herbaceous layer, which is composed mostly of C4 grasses and forbs, with scattered shrubs and small trees. This layer is highly flammable due to the presence of C4 grasses, that can rapidly accumulate a high amount of dead biomass. Frequently burned communities show a higher number of plant species and a higher functional diversity, displaying a high resilience to fire.

This proposal aims to evaluate the impacts of different fire frequencies and season on the above and belowground plant communities of open savannas in the Cerrado. The research group of A Fidelis has already a large amount of data (since 2013) about fire parameters and plant community data (e.g. species cover, height, etc) that can be used by the postdoctoral researcher. However, the person who will develop this project will be also responsible to sampling and measuring above and belowground traits to evaluate fire regime impacts also using a functional approach.

Responsibilities:

-       Organize prescribed burn experiments and field measurements of fire parameters, including management and analysis of fire data.

-       Coordinate and lead vegetation surveys during both wet and dry seasons throughout the project period.

-       Manage the laboratory database on vegetation, fire, and plant traits.

-       Collect and measure plant traits (both aboveground and belowground).

-       Conduct data analysis and contribute to the writing of scientific articles.

-       Supervise undergraduate students and co-supervise graduate students.

-       Give lectures and short courses for local stakeholders involved in fire management and for students interested in the topic.

Requirements:

-       Fluency in English.

-       Experience in sampling the herbaceous layer of open ecosystems.

-       Knowledge of statistics and data analysis using R or Python.

-    Willingness to reside in Rio Claro (SP- Brazil) and travel frequently to Cavalcante (GO- Brazil) during fieldwork periods.

-       Solid record of scientific publications.

-       PhD completed within the last 7 years.

-       Valid driver’s license (Category B or equivalent).

Interested candidates must complete the Google Form (https://forms.gle/F5MkdM6CR4CZ75MT8), attaching their CV, a 2-page statement of research interests, and the names and email addresses of 3 references.

The position is open to both Brazilian and international applicants. The selected candidate will receive a FAPESP Postdoctoral Fellowship with a monthly stipend of R$ 12,570.00, plus Research Contingency Funds equivalent to 10% of the annual fellowship value.