ecology @ guelph's ecoblog

Field Assistant positions available

Field Technicians Needed
Red Squirrels, Kluane Lake, Yukon

Four field technicians are needed to work as part of a long-term project run by researchers at the University of Alberta, McGill University and University of Guelph, studying the ecology and evolution of red squirrels near Kluane Lake, Yukon, Canada. Details on the project and area can be found at www.redsquirrel.msu.edu. Technicians will be responsible for monitoring the survival and reproduction of red squirrels during the 2009 breeding season. Duties will include live-trapping, handling and tagging of red squirrels, assessing reproductive condition, radio-collaring and telemetry, and performing behavioral observations.

Successful applicants will have a biology or wildlife background, exhibit sound decision making abilities, and will be prepared to live at our remote field camp in the winter. Field technicians must be prepared to complete fieldwork using snowshoes under northern winter weather conditions. Previous field experience with small mammals and winter field experience will be considered assets. Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada (i.e., citizens, permanent residents or visa holders), have up-to-date first-aid training, a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record.

Technicians are needed between February 23 and August 28, 2009, but end dates are negotiable. Salary will depend on experience, but will start at $1,400 per month. In addition, food and accommodation will be provided in the field.

Applicants should send a resume and cover letter, including references by e-mail to Ainsley Sykes at the University of Alberta (asykes@ualberta.ca). Applications will be considered until January 1, but review of applications will begin immediately. Under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

Wyngaard (James Madison U) Seminar

Professor Grace Wyngaard from the Department of Biology, of James Madison University, will give a lecture titled: “Genome size and fitness traits in zooplankton: coincidence, co-evolution of causation?” December 2nd, at 3:30pm in SCIE 2315.

Host: Professor Ryan Gregory

PhD position - Finland

A PhD student position at Oulanka Research Station, Thule Institute, University of Oulu is open for applications.

Project title: The impact of logging residue removal (LRR) on boreal headwater stream communities and drainage areas. Field of science: freshwater community ecology. We invite applications for a PhD student position at Oulanka Research Station, starting in 2009. The project duration is three years (conditional, based on yearly progress evaluation) and it is funded by Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation. The project focuses on quantifying the potential effects of logging residue and tree stump removal on boreal headwater streams and their drainages. Another goal of the project is to establish a long-term monitoring program at a subset of study sites. The PhD student will concentrate on studying the effects on benthic invertebrate community composition and diversity and effects on stream water chemistry. The effects on diatom and bryophyte communities and on drainage area soil communities will be investigated in separate subprojects employing MSc students as other funding permits.

We are looking for an outstanding PhD student with excellent skills in statistics and a willingness to do field work. Benthic freshwater invertebrates will be the focal organism group so relevant identification skills will benefit the applicant. Applications from foreign students are also welcome but excellent skills in English are expected. Ideally, non-native speakers should provide TOEFL test scores or similar proof of language skills. A MSc degree or equivalent from a relevant field (e.g. ecology, hydrobiology, environmental biology) is required but students very close to completing their MSc thesis and degree may also be considered.

The following documents should be attached to the application: curriculum vitae, copies of relevant degree diplomas, record of studies (courses listed, including credits and a short description), copies of thesis evaluations/grades and reference letters or contact information of two references. Most promising candidates will be interviewed either at Oulanka or by telephone. Deadline for applications is 12.12 2008. The personal grant is tax free and is 1320,68 euros per month (i.e. 15848,16 per year). There is also a small allowance for conducting field work. Accommodation with three meals a day is available at the research station at a very reasonable price.

Contact information: Senior researcher Riku Paavola, Oulanka Research Station, Liikasenvaarantie 134, 93999 Kuusamo, Finland, email: riku.paavola@oulu.fi , phone: +35888515213, web: http://cc.oulu.fi/~oba/indexe.html

Two Tenure-Track Positions in Climate Change Science - Cornell

Cornell University has recently established a Climate Change Initiative as part of its Center for a Sustainable Future (CCSF). The Center serves to focus and integrate the growing interest across departments in sustainability, as well as to generate real-world impacts. As part of the Climate Change Initiative, the Center is facilitating the hiring of several faculty members over the next three years in the biological and physical sciences, social sciences, engineering and humanities.

We are now seeking applications for two tenure track positions at the ASSISTANT or ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR rank in climate change science, one in Atmospheric Science and one in Terrestrial Biogeochemistry. For both positions, we seek candidates to address regional and global scale issues by employing theoretical and empirical approaches such as modeling, earth-observing system and/or spatial information technologies, data-assimilation, spatial statistics, and time-series analysis. The Atmospheric Science position will address the interactions of the atmosphere with earth surfaces. The Terrestrial Biogeochemistry position will focus on the interaction of terrestrial surface processes with global environmental change. The scope of these positions is intentionally broad and a wide range of research areas will be considered. These “open department” searches seek to place outstanding candidates in departments they best match. Potential home departments are Biological and Environmental Engineering, Crop and Soil Sciences, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and Natural Resources.

Both positions will involve 50% research and 50% teaching responsibilities and developing an internationally recognized and externally funded research program in Climate Change Science. Applicants should submit a cover letter indicating why they feel they are a good fit for an interdisciplinary Climate Change Initiative at Cornell, together with a curriculum vitae, a research plan (2-3 pages), and a statement of teaching interests. All materials, including PDF files of selected reprints should be submitted electronically, by emailing a single PDF file to biogeochemistry-search@cornell.edu or atmospheric-search@cornell.edu (please limit to 15MB). Applicants should also provide names of three individuals who may be contacted to provide letters of recommendation. Applications will be reviewed beginning January 5, 2009.

Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, is an inclusive, dynamic, and innovative Ivy League university and New York's land-grant institution. Cornell University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer. Applications from women and minorities are encouraged.

Two PhD positions in Germany

Universität Bayreuth

"Combined effects of climate change, extreme events and habitat fragmentation on insect diversity and biotic interactions in an alpine region"

Rationale
Climate change and habitat loss are two major drivers of species extinctions and are in the current focus of political discussions. Two PhD positions are available in a forthcoming multidisciplinary Bavarian research project on effects of climate change on ecosystems (FORKAST). In this project we will study the combined risks of climate change and habitat fragmentation for species diversity of butterflies and bees, plant-herbivor-antagonist and plant-pollinator interactions in grasslands along an altitudinal gradient in the German Alps. Small-scale field experiments, analyses of temporal species turnover and population genetics of alpine butterflies will complement the research program. The PhD-students will be located at the University of Bayreuth (Germany),  with field work in the beautiful national park Berchtesgaden.

Requirements
Applicants should hold a MSc or Diploma degree in Biology, Agriculture or related disciplines with preferably a strong background in insect ecology. Knowledge in the fields of plant-insect interactions, population genetics, GIS and statistics, preferably in R+ is desirable. Also experiences in ecological field work as well as insect identification skills will be beneficial. Physical fitness is necessary to reach some remote study sites in the mountains. Furthermore conducting the field work will require a drivers license and an own car will be advantageous. Social skills, the ability to work in a team and interest in independent research are of relevance.

Salary and conditions
Salary and benefits are according to a public service position in Germany (TVL 13/2). Start date: 1 st of February 2009. The positions are for three years each. The doctoral thesis will be done as a series of English manuscripts. The University of Bayreuth is one of the leading international centres of Global Change research. We also offer a very nice research atmosphere in a growing and ambitious young research team.

Applications
Please send your applications per email before 12th December 2008, including a CV, certificates, a short summary of research interests, and the names (with email address) of two referees to the email addresses given below. Interviews of successful candidates will be held on 19 th Decembre 2008.

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, and Dr. Jochen Krauss, Population Ecology Group, Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth.

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Recent Publications November 2008

Ashlock, D., & Kim, E.Y. (2008). Fingerprinting: Visualization and Automatic Analysis of Prisoner's Dilemma Strategies. Ieee Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, 12, 647-659.

Hillis, D.G., Antunes, P., Sibley, P.K., Klironomos, J.N., & Solomon, K.R. (2008). Structural responses of Daucus carota root-organ cultures and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus intraradices, to 12 pharmaceuticals. Chemosphere, 73, 344-352.

Cole, H.A., Newmaster, S.G., Bell, F.W., Pitt, D., & Stinson, A. (2008). Influence of microhabitat on bryophyte diversity in Ontario mixedwood boreal forest. Canadian Journal of Forest Research-Revue Canadienne De Recherche Forestiere, 38, 1867-1876.

MacDougall, A.S. (2008). Herbivory, hunting, and long-term vegetation change in degraded savanna. Biological Conservation, 141, 2174-2183.

Ivanova, N.V., Fazekas, A.J., & Hebert, P.D.N. (2008). Semi-automated, Membrane-Based Protocol for DNA Isolation from Plants. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, 26, 186-198.

Maherali, H., Sherrard, M.E., Clifford, M.H., & Latta, R.G. (2008). Leaf hydraulic conductivity and photosynthesis are genetically correlated in an annual grass. New Phytologist, 180, 240-247.

Babin-Fenske, J., Anand, M., & Alarie, Y. (2008). Rapid morphological change in stream beetle museum specimens correlates with climate change. Ecological Entomology, 33, 646-651.

PhD Studentship available

PhD in optimal conservation of migratory species

We are seeking a PhD student to work on optimal conservation decision making for migratory animal populations. Migratory animals are influenced by multiple events across the annual cycle that are often separated by thousands of kilometres and span international borders. To date, conservation strategies for these species have failed to take into account how migratory animals are spatially connected between different periods of the year bringing into question the utility and efficiency of current conservation efforts. The student will use state-of-the-art modelling approaches to determine optimal conservation management decisions for a range of migratory species, including mammals, birds, and insects.

The student is expected to begin between May and September 2009, will receive a full 4-year fellowship, and will be expected to spend approximately 75-80% of their time at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada and 20-25% of their time at CSIRO in Brisbane, Australia. Travel costs between locations will be covered.

Candidates should have a strong background in quantitative ecology, population modelling, and conservation biology. The degree granting University will be the University of Guelph. Closing date for applications is January 31, 2009. Interested applicants should send a cover letter, CV (including references), and transcript via email to both Dr. Ryan Norris (rnorris@uoguelph.ca ) and Dr. Tara Martin (Tara.Martin@csiro.au ).

 

Weis (Toronto) Seminar

Professor Arthur Weis, Director of Koffler Scientifc Reserve at Jokers Hill, of the University of Toronto, will give a lecture titled: “The evolutionary impacts of asynchronous flowering: assortative mating, variance inflation and reproductive isolation”.  November 11th at 3:30pm in SCIE 2315.

Host: Professor Brian Husband