Hi all,
This project is not biocrust related, but some of the soil ecology fans who come across this blog might have some interest or know someone who might....
The Bowker lab at the School of Forestry (SOF), Northern
Arizona University, seeks a motivated Ph.D. student to conduct field and greenhouse
experiments near Flagstaff, Arizona starting in Fall 2013. The student will use
the newly-established Southwest Experimental Garden Array (SEGA) to determine
the role of soil organisms (e.g. mycorrhizal fungi, pathogens, etc.) in
speeding or slowing plant migration under climate change. SEGA provides the
infrastructure and a rare opportunity to conduct cutting edge global change
research. Four years of funding are available to the student (Annual stipend of
$19,950, tuition remission, and student health coverage) in addition to modest
project costs. The student will be expected to seek additional resources
(grants, scholarships, etc.) to help extend the project.
Objectives: The southern Colorado Plateau is already exhibiting
rapid contraction of species distributions as climatic warming shifts the lower
elevation and latitudinal limits of plant species that may be faster than
expansion of species ranges at the upper elevation and latitudinal limits
Specifically,
the objectives of this research are to:
1. Determine whether stress-adapted soil communities
can enhance growth and fitness of less stress-adapted plant populations,
thereby buffering against die-back.
2. Determine
whether the adaptations of soil organisms dictate the success of assisted
migration of plant species into cooler climates.
Within this general
framework, the student will be encouraged to develop their own additional
research questions.
Research
Environment: The School of
Forestry is one of the top Forestry Schools in the nation, and a productive
research environment, with faculty members specializing in a variety of
ecological topics such as landscape ecology, ecological restoration, plant
ecophysiology, entomology, hydrology, and soil ecology among other topics. The
candidate will also have opportunities to interact with members of the Soil
Ecology lab of Nancy Johnson who will also be involved in the project.
Preferred Qualifications: Master of Science in
Forestry, Biology, Environmental Science or related field, or a Bachelor of Science
in these fields supplemented with research experience (undergraduate thesis,
capstone or internship, or employment-related experience). Candidates with
field research experience will be strongly favored, especially in maintenance and
construction of field experiments. Candidates with previous experience in soil
ecology and/or climate change experimental manipulations will also be favored. Due
to manual labor needs in the experimental setup, physical fitness is required.
The candidate must satisfy all requirements set by the School of Forestry, and
Northern Arizona University. Admissions requirements (Deadline March 15, 2013):
- GPA of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale in all college and university work
- GRE scores in the top 40th percentile
- If English is not your
native language:
a score of at least 80 on the internet-based TOEFL or
550 on the paper-based TOEFL or
213 on the computer-based TOEFL - Three letters of recommendation
How to apply:
First contact me directly (matthew.bowker@nau.edu) to state your research
interests, and motivations for attending graduate school, with “SEGA graduate
student inquiry” in the header. Please provide a resume or C.V., and provide
your GRE scores and GPA. If I agree that you are a good match for the position,
I will encourage you to apply to the program.
Useful Links
Dr.
Bowker’s web page -
http://nau.edu/CEFNS/Forestry/Faculty-and-Staff/Directory/Bowker/
School
of Forestry - http://nau.edu/cefns/forestry/
SOF Ph.D.
program - http://nau.edu/CEFNS/Forestry/Degrees/PhD/
Southwest
Experimental Garden array -
http://www4.nau.edu/insidenau/bumps/2011/10_3_11/nsf.html
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