Doctoral Student in Forest Management Effects on Water Quality

Project background

The student will be hosted between the groups WaldLab Ecohydrology and Silviculture. The WaldLab Ecohydrology group is part of the Chair of Hydrology and River System Science at the ETH Zurich Institute of Environmental Engineering, with expertise in water chemistry assessments in forested ecosystems. The Silviculture group is part of the Chair of Forest Resources Management at the ETH Zurich Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, with expertise in silviculture and forest management. We are looking for a reliable, enthusiastic, and highly motivated doctoral student with a passion for interdisciplinary science to join our team.

This position is part of the project “Forest Management and Drinking Water Security under Climate Change” supported by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment. The project investigates the critical link between forest ecosystem management and health and the quality of drinking water across Switzerland. As climate change intensifies disturbances like droughts, windthrows, and pest outbreaks, understanding how forest structure and management influence water quality outcomes is vital. Across national scale and experimental sites, the project integrates country-wide data analysis, water quality monitoring of spring networks and detailed mechanistic insights into subsurface flow routing and transit times. The project is closely aligned with forest and drinking water stakeholders and decision-making authorities; thus, a solid, fundamental understanding of Central European and Swiss forest ecosystems (including species composition, development stages, and silvicultural practices) is essential for this role. The project will be carried out in a collaborative environment between the two research groups, providing extensive technical support and interdisciplinary expertise in ecohydrology and forest management.

Job description

The doctoral project focuses on assessing the resilience of Swiss drinking water resources to forest changes and management interventions. As the successful candidate, your work will include:

• National-Scale Data Integration: Analyzing gradients in forest cover and structure (e.g., tree species mixtures, density) in relation to long-term drinking water parameters, accounting for hydrogeology and land-use history
• Field Monitoring & Sampling: Conducting water quality assessments across Swiss-wide spring networks to identify how management practices influence resilience during event-driven disturbances
• Mechanistic Investigations: Monitoring intensively instrumented experimental sites to determine how forest health and structure alter subsurface flow routing and contamination pulses
• Synthesis & Strategy Development: Developing and evaluating suitable management strategies to reduce drinking water risks
• Stakeholder Communication: Performing statistical analyses and modeling to translate findings into actionable management recommendations for water abstractions

The full-time position is funded for four years. Salary and social benefits are provided according to ETH Zurich rules.

Profile

Upon starting, you must have completed a Master’s degree in hydrology, environmental sciences, forest sciences, ecology, or a closely related field with experience in water chemistry, silviculture, experimental field work and large-scale data analysis. You must have good statistical skills and programming experience (e.g., in R or Python). Excellent written and spoken English, as well as a driver’s license, are mandatory. For this project, we consider German and other Swiss national languages an asset. Good writing skills and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment are expected.

We offer

• An inspiring, international, and interdisciplinary work environment in a world-leading research institute
• Opportunities to collaborate with practitioners and federal/cantonal offices
• Opportunities to present research at national and international conferences
• A supportive environment for developing your scientific career
• Participation in and shaping a dynamic research team with supportive colleagues, fostering collaboration and mutual learning
• Access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure

Your job with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society. You can expect numerous benefits, such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare and attractive pension benefits