ecology @ guelph's ecoblog

Graduate Studentship (Western)

MSc/PhD Studentship:
Evolutionary Physiology/ Evolutionary Ecology of Insect Cold Tolerance

The Sinclair lab at the University of Western Ontario seeks a creative, motivated and evolutionary-minded MSc or PhD student to start in 2010. Research will fall within the general theme of insect cold tolerance, preferably with a strong evolutionary slant. Projects could be largely physiological or ecological (or a combination thereof), and may include insects from the wild or a multi-species Drosophila system we have established in the lab.

The Sinclair lab is medium-sized, vibrant and social, and we aim to perform excellent science while having fun. The lab is exceptionally well-resourced for insect low temperature biology in an evolutionary/ecological context thanks to recent CFI infrastructure grants, uses techniques from molecular to macroecological, and has active collaborations with researchers in France, the UK, the USA, South Africa and New Zealand, with potential for lab or field work in those countries. The Biology Department at the University of Western Ontario is a research-intensive department with over 150 students in the graduate programme. The Universitys picturesque campus is located in London, Ontario (pop. 370,000), close to both large cities and rural areas. UWO provides competitive bursaries and Teaching Assistantships to both Canadian and non-Canadian students.

This position will suit students with a background in ecology, physiology, evolutionary biology or entomology (and preferably an interest in all four!). Please email Dr Brent Sinclair to initiate informal discussions.

Graduate studentship available (Queen's)

Graduate Student Position in Community Ecology Funding is currently available to support a graduate student (M. Sc. or Ph.D.) working with Dr. Lonnie Aarssen (Queen's University) and Dr. Brandon Schamp (Algoma University). The student will be based at Queen's University. We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated, and curious student to work with us as we try to understand the mechanistic underpinnings of natural patterns in plant biodiversity. In particular, we are interested in developing a project with a graduate student that addresses the relative contributions of competition and dispersal to plant communities. We encourage applications from those interested in natural history, field research, and computational biology to apply. Interested applicants may contact Dr. Aarssen (aarssenl@queensu.ca) and/or Dr. Schamp (brandon.schamp@algomau.ca).

Postdoc Position (Stanford & Toulouse)

Amazonian indigenous people, cultural change, and biodiversity

Join an exciting team on a unique project investigating the consequences on biodiversity of cultural changes in Amazonian indigenous communities. We are seeking enthusiastic candidates for an 18 mo postdoctoral position, jointly based in Stanford University (USA) and Toulouse University (France).

Responsibilities: The successful candidate will contribute to an NSF- funded project, by developing a mathematical model of the hunting practices of Makusi and Wapichana people in Southern Guyana and northern Brazil. Duties will include integration and synthesis of existing socioeconomic, hunting and environmental data sets, statistical analyses, model building, and manuscript preparation. Opportunities to develop independent research projects using data generated by the project are encouraged.

Qualifications: A PhD with a background in ecology/evolution, demonstrated interest in the broader questions in social studies and tropical systems, a proven publication record especially in mathematical modeling, and strong motivation. Research experience in social systems is desirable.

Employment Conditions: The starting date is negotiable between July and August 2009. We will offer a competitive salary commensurate with the experience of the successful candidate.

To Apply: Please send a single PDF file containing letter of application with statement of interest , CV and two letters of reference to Jose Fragoso (fragoso@stanford.edu), with cc to Jerome Chave (chave@cict.fr). For full consideration, apply by June 15 2009. The position will remain open until filled.

Naturalist talks at the Arboretum

FRIENDS of LUTHER MARSH

An evening of presentations by three renowned naturalists:

Bridget Stutchbury
David Lamble
Paul General

University of Guelph Arboretum Centre Auditorium

Thursday, May 21st, 2009, 6:30 pm

Come and listen to three inspiring speakers on the wildlife of Luther Marsh.

Dr. Stutchbury, is the noted author of "Silence of the Songbirds", David Lamble is a renowned local birder, and Paul General is the Six Nations First Nations Environmental Director and Eco-Center Manager.

We are extremely lucky to have these three impassioned wildlife experts in the same room. The evening is one you won't want to miss!

$30 advance / $35 at the door

Tickets and information: 519-848-6463 or 519-848-3908 or email info@saveluthermarsh.org

MSc Studentship (Sherbrooke)

M.Sc. Scholarship in Terrestrial Ecology on Anticosti Island

(January 2010 – December 2011)

Description

A two year scholarship (16,000 $/yr) in terrestrial ecology is offered at Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada), starting January 1st 2010. Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy (NIRS) is an analytical method used to characterize the chemical composition of materials based on the diffuse reflection of photons in the 800-2500 nm range. The project will attempt to correlate the chemical composition of various ecological materials (soils, vegetation, feces) and resource utilisation patterns by white-tailed deer on Anticosti Island. These data will be applicable to ecological and resource management issues on the Island and elsewhere. The student will be co-supervised by Dr. Jean-Pierre Tremblay from Laval University, and will be sponsored by the Centre d'Étude de la Forêt (CEF) and the Centre d'Études Nordiques (CEN). Students holding external scholarships from NSERC or FQRNT will receive an additional 5,000 $.

Qualifications

Ideally, the candidate should:

• be able to converse in French;
• have broad background knowledge in terrestrial ecology;
• have completed a B.Sc. degree (or equivalent) in a related area before January 2010;
• have prior research training;
• perform sampling work in the field, chemical analyses in the laboratory and statistical analyses of data sets;
• he/she is expected to write and prepare scientific manuscripts for publication.

Please send an electronic copy of your CV to Professor Robert Bradley at the following address : Robert.Bradley@USherbrooke.ca