ecology @ guelph's ecoblog

PhD position (Tulane)

PhD student opportunity at Tulane University to work on the population dynamics of a migratory songbird

Seeking a PhD student to work on a collaborative project studying the winter ecology, survival and migratory connectivity of Tree Swallows. The project is flexible and will be designed by the student but will involve fieldwork in the southern US and Mexico and may involve population modeling. The candidate should have strong quantitative and writing skills and be able to work for extended periods of time in the field. Support is available from a combination of research and teaching assistantships and the student will also be expected to apply for external scholarships. Previous experience with mist-netting and bird banding is strongly preferred. Fluency in Spanish would also be advantageous

The successful applicant would join the lab of Dr Caz Taylor at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. Opportunities exist to spend some time at labs of collaborators, Dr Ryan Norris at University of Guelph and Dr David Winkler at Cornell University. Interested applicants should send a letter and resume detailing interests, previous research experience, and education including GPA and GRE scores to caz AT tulane.edu before Oct 15 2009

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).

Three studentships at Windsor

The VanLaerhoven laboratory within the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Windsor invites applications for two M.Sc. and 1 Ph.D. student openings.

The VanLaerhoven laboratory examines questions of food web interactions between insects, co-existence of species, foraging and movement decisions of natural enemies and community dynamics and assembly with respect to applications in agriculture, forestry and forensic science.

The successful M.Sc. candidates will conduct research in the areas of either:
1) waste management technology with Black Soldier Flies, or 2) mechanisms of community assembly relating to Forensic Entomology.

The successful Ph.D. candidate will conduct research in the area of understanding mechanisms of omnivory in multiple resource based systems.

Candidates must have an undergraduate or master's degree in a biological or related discipline.  Preference will be given to applicants with entomology and ecology coursework or experience.

Applications will include:

• A letter of application, describing the applicant's relevant experience, including a statement of citizenship/immigration status
• A detailed and current curriculum vitae
• Undergraduate and Graduate (if applicable) transcripts
• Three current letters of reference, forwarded by the referees, or in sealed envelopes with signatures across the seal. To ensure full consideration, complete applications should be submitted by June 1, 2009 to: Dr. Sherah VanLaerhoven Rm 119 Bio, Dept. of Biological Sciences University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Office: (519)253-3000 x2713 email: vanlaerh@uwindsor.ca

Applications may still be received after the deadline date. If you are unable to submit the application by the deadline date, you should contact and alert Dr. VanLaerhoven that you intend to submit an application after the deadline date. If you are viewing the advertisement after the deadline date, you should contact Dr. VanLaerhoven to find out the status of the search and discuss the possibility of submitting an application. The acceptance of a late submission is at the discretion of Dr. VanLaerhoven.

Naturalist / Expedition Leader

Natural Habitat Adventures

Expedition Leaders on Natural Habitat Adventures’ (NHA) expeditions serve as guides/naturalists to small groups of travelers (appx 9-15 per group) visiting areas of abundant wildlife or other natural phenomena.  In line with our philosophy of continual improvement, NHA expects our Expedition Leaders to strive to raise the standard of ecotourism and conservation.  In most cases, a commitment to work the full season in a given destination is necessary.  This is an independent contractor position. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Sample responsibilities of this position may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide interpretation of the wildlife, culture and natural history of area visited.  Explain the unique ecology of the area and any interesting features. Share facts and interesting anecdotes about what the group is viewing.  Educate the entire group.
• Uphold the highest regard for the safety of our travelers in light of adverse weather conditions and the potential dangers of wildlife encounters.
• Prepare and present evening programs such as slide shows on topics relevant to the arctic and/or its wildlife.
• Coordinate with local vendors and guides to ensure a smooth and consistent client experience.  This may include confirming operations such as hotels, transfers, meals, flights, activities, etc.  Communicate with the local operations team and/or the home office on any missing items and potential improvements. 
• Maintain current knowledge of the area visited: its wildlife, its culture, climate issues, other influences affecting the destination. Read recent articles, books, etc.
• Ensure that the presence of our travelers does not cause harm to the animals or the environment.  Help preserve the environment through education and sound eco-tourism principles.
• Ensure the well-being and comfort of the clients, including but not limited to, assisting in food serving, group transportation, passenger special needs assistance.  Demonstrate courtesy and helpfulness at all times.
• Represent NHA as a fully trained, professional staff member.  Read NHA brochures/website to keep current on our trip offerings and other involvements. 
• Complete all paperwork in a timely and accurate manner.
• Participate in Guide Training sessions as scheduled.

REQUIREMENTS

Education/Experience:  Bachelor's degree with major course work in the natural sciences or
related field.  Proven experience leading group travel required.  Must possess a background related to bears or large carnivores.  Must have a demonstrated passion for travel/tourism, environmental responsibility, and nature/wildlife. 

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Knowledge of the biology of the fauna and flora in the area visited (see below for specifics.)  Knowledge of the region’s ecology, natural history, and culture highly desirable - must learn if not already knowledgeable.  Fluency in oral and written English.  Ability to memorize and recall facts, figures and information.  Ability to make independent decisions and respond to immediate needs of guests, emergency situations, and program needs.  Ability to walk on uneven terrain (occasionally while assisting others), tolerate adverse weather conditions and lift heavy objects.  Ability to work long hours to include early mornings, late evenings, weekends and holidays.  Excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.  High levels of integrity, maturity, patience and enthusiasm.  Must be able to adapt to changing and flexible responsibilities.  Ability to work individually and as part of a team.  Current CPR and First Aid Certificates are required.

POSITIONS IN CANADA

• Polar Bear Adventures: Winnipeg and Churchill, Manitoba; early October to late November.  Requires knowledge of polar bear biology and familiarity with other arctic wildlife.  Knowledge of marine mammals and Aurora Borealis is a plus. 
• British Columbia Expeditions, Tweedsmuir Lodge, Chilko Lake Lodge and Great Bear Rainforest (boat-based); August and September.  Requires knowledge of bears and familiarity with other BC wildlife.  Knowledge of marine mammals is a plus on the lodge-based trips and a must on the boat-based trip in the Great Bear Rainforest. 
• Discover Newfoundland Expeditions, St. John’s, Gros Morne, Trinity and St. Bride’s, Newfoundland; Early July to early August.  Requires knowledge of sea birds and familiarity with other North Atlantic wildlife.  Knowledge of marine mammals is a plus.   

ABOUT NATURAL HABITAT ADVENTURES

Natural Habitat Adventures has been perfecting the art of nature expedition for over 20 years.  Operating ethically and responsibly in the areas where we run our trips and in our own community has always been a crucial component of our core ideology.  Our adventures take travelers off-the-beaten path where they can experience our planet's greatest natural wonders, such as observing mountain gorillas in a rainforest, viewing polar bears on the arctic tundra, exploring the Galapagos Islands from an intimate yacht, or any number of other enriching wildlife and nature encounters. For more information about Natural Habitat Adventures, see www.nathab.com. 

CONTACT

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume, to jobs@nathab.com or mail to P.O. Box 3065, Boulder, CO 80307.  NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.  Applicants will be contacted in the event we wish to pursue your candidacy.

PhD position (Lund, Sweden)

PhD studentship in Evolution within the discipline of Plant Evolution and Systematics

With placement at the Department of Ecology, Section for Plant Ecology
and Systematics, Faculty of Science, Lund University.

Reference Number: N 2009/119
Starting Date: As soon as possible
Information: Prof. Honor C. Prentice +46 46 2228971 (+46 73 5968334) Honor_C.Prentice[at]ekol.lu.se
Prof. Anders Tunlid +46 46 2223757 (+46 70 3140067. Anders.Tunlid[at]mbioekol.lu.se
Worker's unions at Lund University: OFR, SACO och SEKO

Project title: Allelic variation and protein function in a plant community context

Project description:
This interdisciplinary project represents a collaboration between the
Section of Plant Ecology and Systematics, and the Section of Microbial
Ecology within the Department of Ecology, Lund University.

The project will focus on genomic ecology and community genomics and will
develop a novel system for the study of gene variation and function in
the context of natural plant communities. Molecular differentiation will
be investigated at a pair of loci coding for a key metabolic enzyme,
phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), in the wild plant Festuca ovina,
and the distribution and function of individual PGI alleles will be
explored in natural populations within grassland plant communities on
the Baltic island of Uland. The project will involve characterization
of sequence differentiation between the multiple alleles at the two
loci and the development of allele-specific primers. Relationships
between individual alleles and fine-scale niche-variation within natural
grassland communities will be investigated and the functional consequences
of the allelic variation will be inferred through analyses of predicted
protein structures.

The PhD project will be linked to the Research School in Genomic Ecology
within the Centre for Genomic Ecology (CGE). Genomic ecology represents a
new interdisciplinary field on the interface between ecology, evolutionary
and molecular biology, and genomics. The long-term goal of CGE is to
achieve an integrated understanding of the molecular, evolutionary and
ecological mechanisms and processes that are involved in the generation
of the immense diversity of form and function that characterizes
living organisms. The Research School in Genomic Ecology will provide
the PhD student with access to advanced courses and opportunities
for placements in other laboratories as well as a stimulating social
network. Further information about CGE and the research school can be
found at http://www.ekol.lu.se/research/genomic-ecology.

Qualifications:
Applicants should have a Master's degree (or equivalent) in biology,
with specialization in botany, plant ecology, plant genetics, molecular
ecology, molecular genetics, or a similar subject area. Experience with
molecular techniques is a central requirement for the position. Competence
with univariate and multivariate statistics, bioinformatics and plant
cultivation is also a desirable merit. A very good knowledge of written
and spoken English is required. A valid driving licence is also a
desirable merit.

Additional information:
A Swedish PhD represents four years of full-time study. Of these four
years, three years are devoted to research activities and one year is
devoted to advanced course work, in which course points are obtained via
attendance at research-level courses given in Lund or elsewhere in Europe.

Regulations concerning appointment as a full PhD student can be found in
HF 5 Chap 1-7 and SFS 1998:80. Also consult the admission regulations
found at: http://www.science.lu.se/o.o.i.s/4964 An educational stipend
is awarded for the first 18 months of full-time study, following which
time the student is appointed as a full doctoral student. Regulations
concerning educational stipends for doctoral students can be found in SFS
1995:938 and 1998:81. Regulations concerning appointment as a full PhD
student can be found in HF 5 Chap 1-7 nd SFS 1998:80. Those who hold
an educational stipend or a doctoral student appointment must first be
accepted for postgraduate study. To be accepted, a student must be judged
to have the competence necessary to complete a course of postgraduate
study. In addition to pursuing postgraduate studies, the doctoral student
may also perform other duties - including teaching and administration -
according to the specific regulations. The university strives for a
more even gender representation within postgraduate education.

Applications are made on a specific application form found on the web
site: http://www.science.lu.se/o.o.i.s/13456

The application must reach the Registrar, Kansli N, Lund University, Box
118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden, not later than Wednesday 8 April 2009. All
submitted document must be attested as to their authenticity.

PhD position (Guelph)

PhD position in Marine Ecological Genetics: Global warming may allow predators from the subtropics to extend their geographical range into Canada. Range expansions into Canadian waters occurred during the 1997/1998 El Niño event when the entire West Coast experienced abnormally warm sea surface temperatures. This provided an excellent preview of what effects global warming might have on coastal ecosystems because several predator species more typical of California, including the Pacific mackerel and the lined shore crab, became temporarily common in Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island and impacted the distribution of native prey species. Prey species from Canada have not co-evolved with these specialized subtropical predators and consequently may go extinct unless they can quickly adapt.

I suspect that non-indigenous intertidal invertebrate species with free-swimming larval stages are more likely to extend their range into Canada if average sea surface temperatures permanently increase than species with direct development. Additionally, I am curious whether temperate prey species are more vulnerable to invading tropical predators than the temperate ones they have coevolved with.

We are doing experiments to predict what ecological and evolutionary effects these invading species may have on native Canadian species. We have transplanted small predatory crabs to wave-exposed shores by building them concrete shelters near Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. We have tethered gastropods differ at different distances from the shelters and find that they were most likely to be preyed upon if they were within 2 metres of the shelters and if they have thin shells. We have used microsatellites to estimate the population boundaries (demes) of the snails so we could see how this compared with the selection gradient created by the predators. This work is funded by my NSERC Discovery grant.

Requirements:

• Grade average of A- (3.7) or better for the last two years of undergraduate studies
•  Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• B.Sc. or preferably M.Sc. in biology, ecology or zoology
• Interest in conservation biology, molecular ecology, near-shore oceanography
• Experience with marine intertidal field work or with molecular ecological lab work an asset
• Should be available to start graduate work by September 2009.

Contact Information: Dr. Elizabeth Boulding Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 Email: boulding@uoguelph.ca Home page: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~bouldlab/

Graduate Studentship at North Carolina State University

Dr. Marc Johnson’s lab of Evolutionary Ecology (www.evoeco.org) at North Carolina State University is accepting applications for graduate school in the Department of Plant Biology. North Carolina State University offers broad training in ecology and evolution and is ideally suited for students interested in interdisciplinary research that incorporates both lab and field components. Students will have the opportunity to interact with colleagues across multiple departments including Biology, Entomology, Genetics, and Statistics. Research in the lab focuses on the molecular and phenotypic evolution of plant defenses, the ecological effects of genetic variation and evolution on communities, and the coevolution between plant hosts and their insect parasites. Students are free to work on any topic related to the lab’s foci. For more information on this research please visit www.evoeco.org.

There are presently two positions open in the lab that will be funded by a combination of research assistantship (50%) and teaching assistantship (50%) support. Students can expect to earn ca. 20K (USD) per year, and tuition and health insurance will be covered on top of this.  Students entering the graduate program in plant biology are required to have a bachelor's degree in plant biology or a related undergraduate program that includes biological, physical and mathematical science training. Students will be considered regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, or physical ability.

Interested students are encouraged to send a covering letter and CV/resume to marc_johnson@ncsu.edu by January 25, 2009. The cover letter should outline the applicant’s research interests as they relate to evolution or ecology, past research experience, and why the student would like to do graduate work at NCSU.

Graduate studentships in mudflat ecology

University of New Brunswick, Mount Allison University and Carleton University. We are seeking graduate students for a collaborative research program (funded by an NSERC Strategic Grant) on the ecology of mudflats in the Bay of Fundy. These mudflats are densely inhabited by burrow-dwelling amphipods (Corophium volutator), which are the major prey of migrating shorebirds and fish.  Mud snails (Ilyanassa obsoleta) migrate seasonally onto the mudflats, disturb the mudflat surface and negatively influence amphipod populations.  The program consists of a number of graduate projects, which will involve field work, laboratory studies and mathematical modelling. These projects will start in Winter 2009 and Spring 2009.  Applications will be considered until suitable candidates are found. Click here for more information.

PhD Studentship (Laval)

Modelling waterfowl distribution and abundance in Canadian boreal forest

A PhD position in wildlife habitat modelling is available in the Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Université Laval, in collaboration with Ducks Unlimited Canada. The position will be funded via an NSERC/FQRNT IIS scholarship of $27,000/yr for 3yr. The project concerns the analysis of an extensive suite of repeated-measures aerial waterfowl surveys. As part of a graduate thesis, the student will develop mixed-effects models to relate species abundances and distributions to a suite of biophysical covariates. The student will be associated with several research groups focussed on national-scale spatial simulation of ecological processes in the Canadian boreal: see Boreal Avian Modelling (http://www.borealbirds.ualberta.ca). Applications to spatial simulation for forest management and conservation planning may be developed in the course of the thesis, depending on the interests of the student. Click here for more information.