ecology @ guelph's ecoblog

Plant physiological ecology or plant evolutionary physiology postdoc (Guelph)

I am seeking a postdoctoral research associate who is broadly interested in the physiology and evolution of plant-fungal interactions and/or the ecological and evolutionary effects of invasive species on the physiological ecology of native species. The successful applicant will contribute to studies of the physiological basis of plant responsiveness to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and how the evolution of plant function is affected by invasive species and/or climate change factors that disrupt the plant-fungal symbiosis. There will also be opportunities to develop collaborative research in related areas. Responsibilities include designing greenhouse, growth chamber and field studies, data collection, data analysis, manuscript preparation and mentoring undergraduate and high school students in research. Applicants must have (or be close to finishing) a Ph.D. in physiological ecology, evolutionary ecology, plant biology or a related field, should have experience working in field and controlled environments and publishing manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. Experience working with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and/or in phylogenetic ecology or ecological genetics would be an asset. Funding is available for two years, salary is commensurate with experience, and the start date is flexible.

To apply, please send a cover letter explaining your interest in and match for the position, a CV, and the names and contact information for three referees to Hafiz Maherali, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada. Please feel free to email me at the above address if you have questions about the position. Review of applications will begin September 15th, 2009 and continue until the position is filled.

Grassland Ecology Postdoc (Guelph)

Postdoctoral Position in Grassland Community and Ecosystem Ecology

We are seeking a postdoctoral research associate to join an ongoing study of the effects of invasion by endophyte infected grasses on the community and ecosystem dynamics of grasslands. In a large scale field experiment, we are tracking the ecological impacts of 31 different cultivars of three grass species (perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and meadow fescue) on native grasslands. Experimental plots have been invaded with grass cultivars that are either endophyte-free, endophyte-infected, or in some cases infected by 'novel endophytes'. The successful candidate will assess how the experimental treatments affect community composition and ecosystem functioning, and have the opportunity to develop collaborative research using the established study site or to address other novel questions related to grass-endophyte interactions. In addition to participating in and supervising data collection, the incumbent will also be responsible for data analysis and manuscript preparation. Applicants must have (or be close to finishing) a Ph.D. in community or ecosystem ecology, grassland ecology, plant biology or related field, as well as experience publishing manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. Experience with plant identification, vegetation analysis, and studying community dynamics and biogeochemical processes is desirable. Salary is commensurate with experience. This position is for two years with the possibility of renewal. The preferred start date is January 2010, but is negotiable. To apply, please send a cover letter explaining your interest in and match for the position, a CV, and the names and contact information for three referees to Jonathan Newman, Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada or Hafiz Maherali, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada. Please feel free to email either one of us at the above addresses if you have questions about the position.

Review of applications will begin September 15th , 2009 and continue until the position is filled.

Fisheries Ecology Faculty Position (Windsor)

FISHERIES ECOLOGY

Date Posted: July 10, 2009
Region: Ontario
Institution: University of Windsor
Discipline: Ecology

The University of Windsor invites applications for a cross (hybrid) appointed tenure-track faculty position in the area of Fisheries Ecology at the rank of assistant professor. This position is cross appointed for the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) and the Department of Biological Sciences commencing July 1, 2010. For a detailed position description visit our website at: www.uwindsor.ca/facultypositions. Contact Dr. Brian J. Fryer, Director, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Phone: (519) 253-3000, ext 3750, Fax: (519) 971-3616, E-mail: bfryer@uwindsor.ca. For information on the University of Windsor or the City of Windsor, contact Dr. Janice Drakich, Director, Faculty Recruitment at 877-665-6608 (toll free), international at 001-519-561-1432 or recruit@uwindsor.ca.

Postdoc (France)

Job Opening: post-doctoral researcher (2009-2010) for the program GESSOL 3 (financed by MEEDDAT and ADEME)

Position: researcher ("ingénieur de recherche") under contract for 24 months

Desired start date: October or November 2009 Project: ACV-SOL (see description at end)

Leader: Dr. Michael Corson michael.corson@rennes.inra.fr , Tel.: +33 (0)2 23 48 57 09

Background and description of duties: Integrating impacts of agricultural activities on soil quality into Life Cycle Assessment Due to its position, soil plays a central role in preserving environmental quality and human health. The environmental functions of soil (e.g., water storage and filtration, nitrogen and phosphorus recycling, greenhouse-gas reduction) give it role as important as those of other environmental components. The object of this project is to develop a conceptual and operational approach for including soil quality in evaluations of the environmental impacts of agricultural activities using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. The methodological framework of LCA places certain constraints on the identification and evaluation of relevant indicators, which this project aims to analyse by using case studies of contrasting systems and relying upon the expert knowledge of soil scientists and specialists in environmental-evaluation methods. The post-doctoral researcher's assignment will focus on 3 research objectives: 1. Develop a decision-aid tool of soil quality characteristics that is compatible with the LCA method. Based on an exhaustive bibliographical study, the researcher will determine a "minimum data set" of soil-quality characteristics. Each characteristic will be selected according to criteria such as representativeness of environmental functions, measurability, and sensitivity to agricultural practices. 2. Define estimation algorithms of the selected soil-quality characteristics. For each aspect of soil quality, this step includes the definition of equations that link farm practices to changes in the given characteristic. These algorithms must be applicable to diverse pedoclimatic contexts and able to be used with relatively cursory descriptions of agricultural practices. 3. Aggregate soil-quality characteristics into one or more global indicator(s). Different methods of multicriteria evaluation can be used for this aggregation. During this step, the researcher will reflect on these methods and their adaptation in an LCA context, test and compare the methods, and finally apply those that correspond best to the objectives.

Salary: approximately €2220 gross per month

Location: INRA, Soil Agro- and hydroSystem Mixed Research Unit, Rennes, France Close collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada of Quebec, Canada Desired

Qualifications:
· Doctorate in soil science or life sciences (agronomy, ecology)
· Solid knowledge of soil and environmental sciences
· Good understanding of English and computer tools
· Close attention to detail during data analysis and a critical eye toward presumed results · Scientific publications in the field
· Interest in and experience with working in teams

To apply, please send a CV (with a list of publications) and cover letter to Michael Corson by e-mail ( michael.corson@rennes.inra.fr ) or surface mail: UMR SAS, 65 rue de Saint Brieuc - CS 84215, 35042 Rennes Cedex, FRANCE.

Application deadline: 1 September 2009

Summary of the ACV-SOL project Evaluation of the environmental impacts of agricultural activities with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) currently does not take into account the effects of these activities on soil quality. The object of this project is to develop a conceptual approach and an operational framework that will do so. We propose developing an indicator that can evaluate the impact of agricultural activities on soil quality and remain compatible with LCA (i.e., accounting for all components of a production system, using available references, and integrating a limited but robust number of relevant soil functions). First, the approach will include a detailed study of existing approaches, from which we will establish a "minimum data set" of properties or functions judged pertinent for describing soil quality within an LCA approach. Then, we will develop a decision-tree from which a selection of soil properties can be established. This framework will take into account relevant soil functions according to the pedoclimatic and agricultural context, as well as the input data available for developing the LCA. We then will determine functions describing impacts of agricultural ac tivities on the selected soil-quality characteristics. This step will be performed iteratively with case studies representing contrasting agricultural production scenarios that presumably have a significant impact on soil quality. Finally, we will propose an indicator (either a single value or one composed of a few sub-indicators) of soil-quality impacts.

Postdoc - North Carolina State University

PROJECT: Plant Sex and the Evolution of Plant Defenses Against Parasites

LOCATION: Department of Plant Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC, USA

DESCRIPTION: The Johnson Lab (www.evoeco.org) in the Department of Plant Biology at North Carolina State University seeks a Post-Doctoral researcher to work on an NSF funded project examining how a loss of sexual reproduction in plants influences phenotypic and molecular evolution of defenses against plant parasites (insect herbivores and fungal pathogens). This work focuses on the evening primrose genus Oenothera which has experienced over 20 independent transitions between sexual and functionally asexual reproduction. We have recently shown that these repeated losses of sex have lead to the evolution of increased susceptibility to generalist herbivores and decreased susceptibility to specialist herbivores.  We are now testing theoretical predictions about how a loss of sex influences the molecular evolution of plant defense genes as well as the expression of resistance traits functionally related to these genes.

Consistent with the strengths and interests of the successful applicant, there will be the opportunity to contribute to multiple aspect s of the project. These include the cloning, sequencing and expression analysis of plant defense genes; field work in North and South America; phytochemical analysis by HPLC-MS, and the use of comparative phylogenetic and population genetic tools for the analysis of various types of molecular and phenotypic data. Consideration will be given to all candidates with expertise in ecology and/or evolution and applicants with experience conducting both molecular and field work  are particularly encouraged to apply.

START DATE: September 1st, 2009, but this is negotiable. The position is for 24 months, with a possible extension contingent on funding. Starting salary will be commensurate with experience; the position includes medical insurance and benefits.

APPLICATION: Applicants should send a covering letter, curriculum vitae and contact details for three or more references to Dr. Marc Johnson (marc_johnson@ncsu.edu) in the Department of Plant Biology at North Carolina State University.

DAILY LIFE: North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina’s state capital. The university is conveniently located 30 minutes or less from UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University, the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), and the Research Triangle Park. Raleigh is a culturally diverse city with excellent restaurants, parks, museums and theaters. The city is conveniently located 2 hours from both the ocean and the mountains.

Forest Soil Ecologist Canadian Forest Service

Department of Natural Resources, Sault Ste. Marie

Salary: $48,985 to $122,929 (annual salary range - the salary will correspond to the group and level will be dependent of the of the breadth and depth of the candidate's education and experience.)
Closing Date: June 30, 2009 - 23:59, Pacific Time Useful Information
Reference Number: RSN09J-000021-001436
Selection Process Number: 2009-RSN-EA-0145-133439
Employment Tenure: Permanent full time position
Vacancies: 1

Website: For further information on the department, please visit Department of Natural Resources

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