Early Job Posting Alert Research Assistant, Exotic Species Monitoring and Assessment Desert and Dryland Forest Research Group
In collaboration with the Mojave Inventory and Monitoring Network of the National Park Service, the Desert and Dryland Forest Research Group at the University of Nevada Las Vegas is providing an early alert for an anticipated position posting. This position will involve developing protocols for the early detection, trend analysis, and treatment effectiveness monitoring of exotic plant species across seven national parks in the Mojave Desert. Exotic species are often considered second only to direct habitat loss in causing extinctions of indigenous species. In Mojave Desert national parks, invasive annual grasses and other exotic species are altering fire regimes, threatening native species recruitment, exacerbating effects of climate change on native biota, and reducing the visual appeal of park landscapes. These effects hinder abilities of parks to meet conservation objectives. Practical and cost-effective strategies are needed for reducing impacts of exotic species, and strong inventory and monitoring information is a key step in developing such strategies. The position will be primarily based at National Park Service offices in Boulder City, Nevada. Work also will be conducted on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. This position is a good fit for someone interested in applied research targeted to assist resource managers in developing monitoring protocols for actual on-the-ground management of exotic species on national park lands. The position will be based in one location, but will include interaction with all seven Mojave Network parks: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Mojave National Preserve, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and Great Basin National Parks, Parashant National Monument, and Manzanar National Historic Park. These parks collectively exceed three million hectares in size, and span an elevational range from below sea level in Death Valley to 4,000 m alpine mountains. Travel will not be a major component of the position, although data gathering and field visits may be conducted at several parks. This position will primarily involve office work synthesizing data, conducting literature reviews of exotic species ecology and monitoring protocols, working with GIS, and preparing reports and manuscripts but targeted fieldwork is expected to be a component. This position is an applied research position and the candidate will carry out objectives for developing an exotic plant species monitoring protocol to be used by Mojave network parks. Close collaboration with the university PI, other members of the research group, and National Park Service staff will be required. Basic skills in GIS, sampling design, and statistical analyses are needed, together with knowledge of plant ecology and a willingness to engage in applied research with management implications. A highly motivated individual is required to implement and complete this project within a two-year time frame. This position is expected to be a full-time, externally funded position contingent upon grant funding. Funding for year 2 is contingent upon satisfactory progress in meeting project objectives and approval of the budget and performance by the Mojave Network Board of Directors. It is possible that new grants can extend the position beyond two years. We anticipate posting this position in September 2008. Qualifications will include a M.S. degree in natural resources management, ecology, ecological informatics, or a related field; coursework and experience in sampling design, statistical analyses, and GIS; and a demonstrated commitment to produce written products and interact with others in accomplishing research objectives. A field-based thesis that included sampling plant communities or a similar applied research-based thesis is preferred. The candidate must be able to obtain a Nevada drivers license and pass a background investigation for access to National Park Service facilities and computers. The candidate will become a member of the highly productive Desert and Dryland Forest Research Group, housed at the UNLV Public Lands Institute and School of Life Sciences. This group is coordinated by Dr. Scott Abella (http://faculty.unlv.edu/abellas2/) and includes a team of Research Assistants and graduate students. The group is producing 10-15 peer-reviewed publications per year and specializes in applied ecology with management implications for ecological restoration, revegetation, exotic species containment, and fire. Major funding sources include the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Joint Fire Science Program. More information about our group is available from http://publiclands.unlv.edu/ddfrg/Home.htm (use IE). The position is based in Boulder City, Nevada, with a population of 15,000 and distinctly separated from the Las Vegas Valley by a mountain range. Nearby Las Vegas is a large urban area, but is surrounded by millions of hectares of public land. Public lands accessible in less than a 45-minute drive from Las Vegas include the 600,000-ha Lake Mead National Recreation Area (National Park Service), 80,000-ha Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (Bureau of Land Management), 600,000-ha Desert National Wildlife Refuge (Fish and Wildlife Service), and the 130,000-ha Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (Forest Service). Plant communities span desert creosote scrub to high-elevation bristlecone pine forests. Outdoor recreation opportunities abound year round. An extensive hiking and mountain bike trail system also exists in desert mountains accessible from the city streets of Boulder City itself and immediately adjacent to the office building where this position will be housed. UNLV is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to achieving excellence through diversity.
