Graduate student opportunities in ecosystem and landscape ecology in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences and McGill School of Environment at McGill University (Montreal, Canada) I am seeking a graduate research assistant at the PhD level to work on ecosystem services beginning Fall 2007. Applicants should be independent and highly motivated with academic research or field experience in ecology, assessment of ecosystem services, nutrient cycling, or a related field. Technical skills in the use of GIS software to address issues in ecology would also be valuable. My research program covers a broad range of topics including human impacts on global and regional phosphorus cycles, trade-offs among ecosystem services, and resilience of social-ecological systems. The initial work of the PhD student will include analysis of ecosystem services in the agricultural region around Montreal and comparison to other case studies being developed in the Eastern United States and elsewhere. The student will be encouraged to build upon this general topic to develop his or her thesis. Specific topics might include: impact of agricultural land use and management on long-term resilience of aquatic ecosystems; recovery of soils from high soil P after agricultural abandonment; comparative analysis of ecosystem services provided at different locations; spatial patterns of ecosystem services; or historical analysis of trade-offs among ecosystem services. Funding for stipends will range from $18,000 to $25,000. Students will have access to all facilities necessary to complete their work, including field equipment, computers, and lab equipment. I encourage prospective students to contact me ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) to discuss potential graduate projects and to set up an interview. Please send a CV, an unofficial transcript, and explain why you are interested in this position. Successful applicants will join an exciting interdisciplinary team working on a broad range of issues in ecology and the environment. Formal departmental review of applications will begin March 1, but interested students should contact me well before the application deadline. I will consider applicants on a rolling basis as applications arrive. Interested students should look at the following web-sites for more information: http://nrs-staff.mcgill.ca/bennett/ http://www.mcgill.ca/nrs/
Elena M. Bennett Assistant Professor Department of Natural Resource Sciences and McGill School of Environment [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.nrs-staff.mcgill.ca/bennett/
