Three PhD projects in stand and soil carbon dynamics and soil chemistry in boreal forest under variable fire regime
Wildfire is the main agent of natural disturbance in the boreal black spruce forest of eastern Canada. We are looking for a candidate for a PhD project that is part of a larger multi-university effort to evaluate carbon stocks in vegetation and soils under variable fire intensity. This specific project will examine the interaction between fire severity and carbon accumulation in developing vegetation as well as soils, including impacts of salvage logging, which is frequent after fire in this region. The candidate must be ready for difficult conditions in the field and also considerable lab work. The student will be a member of a dynamic research centre, Center for Forest Research (http://www.cef-cfr.ca), which involves 51 researchers and over 300 graduate students in 8 universities of Quebec. For more information about the research team and my own laboratory see: http://www.cef-cfr.ca/index.php?n=Membres.AlisonMunson <http://www.cef-cfr.ca/index.php?n=Membres.AlisonMunson> Although Quebec is a French-speaking university, PhD students have a minimum of course work, and this can be accommodated depending on the level of French of the candidate. This is a great opportunity to acquire a second or third language. Quebec City, which turned 400 years old this year, is a wonderful place to live and work, especially if you like outdoor activity AND interesting culture. Interested persons can send a CV (with coordinates of at least two references), and a copy of latest academic record to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The post will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. A second PhD project associated with this effort is under supervision of Sylvie Quideau and Rod Wasylishen, in the Departments of Renewable Resources(http://www.ales.ualberta.ca/rr/) and Chemistry (http://www.chem.ualberta.ca/), University of Alberta, Edmonton. This specific project uses a variety of methods, including NMR and stable isotopes, to evaluate the quantity and fate of charcoal in the soil profile under different environmental conditions. Edmonton is a fast-growing city of over 1 million people, and is home to a vibrant arts community, various festivals and many outdoor recreational activities along its vast river valley and in the nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains. Established in 1908, the University of Alberta is one of Canada's largest research-intensive universities. Interested persons can send a CV (with coordinates of at least two references), and a copy of latest academic record to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <file:///C:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> The post will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. The third position is in landscape modelling, supervised by Steve Cumming and Sylvie Gauthier. The student will work on coupled dynamic models of forest landscapes, forest stands and subsurface carbon and nitrogen pools. The stand dynamics model will be size-class-structured demographic model of the tree population on the patch scale (e.g. 1ha), to be calibrated from forest mensuration data. Patches will interact on the landscape through spatial processes of fire, seed dispersal and, possibly, forest harvesting. The above-ground models will drive the subsurface models which will be specified and parameterised using the empirical findings of, and in collaboration with, other project members. A good grounding in quantitative ecology and statistics and some familiarity with computer programming would be a definite asset. The student will be part of an active and growing "meta-lab" on spatial simulation, statistical ecology and conservation biology of boreal forest. For more information, contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Alison Munson Professor, Forest Ecology Center for Forest Studies Pavillon Abitibi-Price Université Laval Québec QC, CANADA, G1K 7P4 Tél: +001 418 656-7669 Fax: +001 418 656-5262
