Summer Research Opportunity
Effects of Emerald Ash Borer on Forest Ecosystems
Job description: Work with US Forest Service and Ohio State University
researchers to collect ecological data in forested areas in Ohio and
Michigan Opportunities for independent research projects $11.60 / hour
10-15 week appointment June-August
Qualifications: Interest in forest ecology Able to work in sometimes
extreme conditions (poison ivy, nettle, mosquitoes, swamps, rain, heat,
etc.) Knowledge of plant identification a plus! Student in fall 2008
US citizen or national At least 18 years old by start date
Contact:
Dr. Kathleen Knight
359 Main Rd.
Delaware, OH 43015
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
740-368-0063
To apply, send resume, copy of transcript, and contact information for two
references. Applications will be considered as they are received.
Here's some more detailed information about the position: The big picture
of what we're doing: This is the fourth summer of data collection on a
large research project focused on the effects of emerald ash borer (EAB) on
forest ecosystems. EAB has already killed 25 million ash trees in Michigan
and northern Ohio, and has the potential to decimate all North American ash
species, causing widespread disturbance in forest ecosystems that will be
similar to the chestnut blight or Dutch elm disease. My study sites are
across northern, western, and central Ohio, and collaborators John Cardina
and Dan Herms at OSU - Wooster have study sites in Michigan. We are
quantifying the decline of ash trees by rating the crown condition and
recording symptoms of EAB yearly for >2000 ash trees in forests in various
stages of infestation. We are measuring the effects of the gaps opening up
on the forest ecosystem, including increasing understory light levels,
facilitation of invasive plant species, responses of native woody and
herbaceous species, and changes in soil properties.
What your experience would be like: You would work with me for 10-15 weeks
(exact dates are negotiable) encompassing June, July, and August, and
possibly part of May and/or September. It would probably work best if you
live near Columbus or Delaware (40 minutes north of Columbus) and if you
have a car to drive to the lab in Delaware, but it would work fine if you
don't have a car or live elsewhere on the weekends. Most of our time will
be spent collecting data. We visit many different and interesting forest
types in Ohio and Michigan, from upland hardwoods to riparian forests to
swamps. Some areas are beautiful, some are a mess of invasive species and
poison ivy. You would gain experience identifying ash species and invasive
plant species, using ecological research techniques to rate tree canopies,
estimate percent cover of vegetation, and measuring understory light
levels. Typically, we leave from the Delaware lab on Monday morning, travel
together in a government vehicle to a part of the state, and stay in a
hotel or other housing all week while visiting all the sites there,
returning by Friday afternoon. There will be approx. 6 weeks of this kind
of travel in Ohio, and possibly 2 weeks of joining collaborators in
Michigan. You will be reimbursed for all travel expenses. There will be 2-3
weeks of sites that are nearer to Columbus and Delaware, so we just do day
trips to those. Along with two other students, you would primarily work
with me, however, there will be other scientists from OSU, the forest
service, and the University of Chicago who will meet up with us at times to
work in the plots.
When we have some downtime, you will read some literature on forest
disturbance ecology, current EAB research, etc., and start thinking about
your research project. We have amassed a huge data set on these plots,
which we will be adding to over the summer. There are many possibilities
for using part of that data set for a small research project. For example:
Baseline mortality rates of ash trees in uninfested forests Relationships
between ash canopy decline and specific symptoms of emerald ash borer
Relationship between invasive species and canopy openness Spatial
distribution of invasive species or ash mortality (great project if you're
into GIS) Relationship between invasive species and native species And many
more!
We will discuss your research project through the summer - as you see the
plots, you may come up with other ideas for interesting questions we can
look at with the data set. Or there may be another factor that would be
easy to measure in a subset of the plots. After all of the data you need is
collected and entered, I will get you the data you need for the project and
work with you to analyze it You could then do a poster or presentation at a
research conference in the winter or spring. Depending on the results and
how much time you have, a manuscript may also be possible.
