Apply to Field Technician - Vegetation & Soil Surveys (PR & USVI)

Summary:
This project involves the characterization of soils and vegetation at selected locations in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands for the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service. The objective is to inventory vegetation at designated sites throughout Puerto Rico, adhering to the protocols specified in the National Ecological Site Handbook. The outcomes of this initiative will facilitate the advancement of Ecological Site Descriptions, thereby enhancing the technical assistance available to land users in the Caribbean Area who are engaged in conservation planning and seeking to improve land management practices.

An estimated 32 plots will be surveyed as described in the scope of work. Number of actual plots requiring surveillance may vary and only the actual number of plots surveyed will be invoiced.

Key Deliverables:

Field data collection: Soil and vegetation data for each assigned plot.
Data entry: Complete entry of all required attributes in NRCS approved formats.
Reporting: Summary documentation as required for vegetation inventories by the Contract Official Representative.

Responsibilities:

The contractor will assist the project lead and work with a team of 2-3 people to conduct inventories at approximately 32 sites, following NRCS and FS guidelines and best practices, to document current vegetation composition and structure within selected sampling targets.
Assist the Project Lead and NRCS staff with planning and logistics for sampling activities.
Conduct vegetation and soil assessments at designated sites using approved protocols.
Record and enter field data accurately and promptly.
Support reporting and preparation of deliverables.
Adapt to variable field conditions and terrain typical of tropical regions.
The following actions will be completed for an estimated 32 plots, with invoicing based on the number of plots surveyed:
- Vegetation inventory plots will be correlated to an established soil series by NRCS staff to confirm site location. Sites will be at various locations throughout Puerto Rico.
- Vegetation inventory plots will be geolocated with coordinates recorded to facilitate re-discovery.
- Sampling protocol at each site includes establishing a 0.01-hectare (1/100th – hectare) fixed-size vegetation inventory plot. A typical plot would be a 10m x 10m square or a 100m2 circle (radius = 5.64m), but small and/or narrow Ecological Sites might require modification. Species and percent cover will be recorded for all vegetation other than trees > 4cm diameter. Percent cover is recorded separately for each species and should be a measure of the shade that would be cast by that species if the sun were directly overhead. Total percent cover on a plot can be >100% in the case of multi-storied canopies and/or overlapping species footprints. Species can/should include local names in Spanish, but all species must also be listed according to naming conventions in USDA.plants.gov when possible.
- Trees > 4cm diameter will be inventoried on a variable radius plot. Basal Area Factor prism should be selected that will capture between 6 and 12 trees in a closed canopy forest. Species, DBH (to the nearest cm), and heights (to the nearest meter) will be recorded for all trees > 4cm diameter within the variable radius plot.
- To the extent possible, land management and natural disturbance histories should be collected and recorded for each inventory location.
- High-quality digital photographs should be provided for each of the sites, including photographs of the key features that define the ecological site, and a landscape view of the site.

Requirements:

Bachelor´s degree in Agricultural or Natural Sciences
Or at least two years of university-level education in agricultural/natural sciences
Three (3) years of experience in natural resources conservation and related field activities in tropical climate ecosystems
Experience in conducting field soil and vegetation sampling
Languages: English and Spanish (written and verbal)

Work Methodology:

W2 temporary contract
Period of performance (expected): September 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027 (8 months)
Federal government job assignment
Base rate per hour: $20.74 (US Dept. of Labor wage determination)
Benefits: Social security, Medicare, SINOT, vacations, sick leave, travel expenses (transportation for locations out of the country of residence between Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands)
Administrative shift - Monday to Friday, wiling to support non admin hours when needed
Full time job
On-site job
Requires valid driving license and own car
Languages: Spanish and English