First announcement: PhD Course on ‘Functioning of Boreal Forest Ecosystems’, June 4-10 2011.
This course will provide a comprehensive coverage on topics relevant to the functioning of boreal forest ecosystems, including linkages between aboveground and belowground subsystems, nutrient cycling, role of mycorrhizae, ecosystem effects of herbivores, and the role of major disturbances (notably fire). It will be run along similar lines to a course that we have run on this topic in June 2004, 2007 and 2009. Language: The course will be conducted in English Location: The course is to be held in Arvidsjaur, approximately 300 km NW of Umeå, Sweden, which is in the heart of the northern boreal forest zone and also proximal to the Scandes mountain ranges near the Norwegian border. Participants: This course is open to all PhD students who have an interest in boreal ecosystems. We will limit the course to 25 participants, and will select applicants on the basis of merit and relevance of their research if the number of applicants exceeds the number of positions available. Course format: The course will consist of a mixture of lectures, student presentations, discussion groups, and field trips and field instruction. Students will be expected to be prepared in advance for participation in discussions. Course credits (relevant for European participants only): 7.5 ECTS Costings: Students are responsible for covering their own transport to and from Umeå. All costs including food, travel and lodging for the course duration will covered by SLU. Course organization: The course will be run by the Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umeå, Sweden. Course instructors: The course will be taught by 8 ecologists who each have been actively involved in research on various aspects of northern ecosystems. These instructors are: Professor Marie-Charlotte Nilsson (SLU, Umeå), Professor David Wardle (SLU, Umeå), Professor Richard Bardgett (University of Lancaster, UK), Professor Heikki Setälä (University of Helsinki, Finland), Dr. Anders Dahlberg (SLU, Uppsala), Professor Mats Nilsson (SLU Umeå), Dr. Paul Kardol (SLU, Umeå) and Dr Michael Gundale (SLU, Umeå). Expressions of interest: Please prepare a brief CV and a statement of 200 words or less outlining your PhD research topic and why you think the course would be beneficial to you, as a single Word file with your surname as the file name. This information, and any enquiries, should be sent to Dr. Paul Kardol by e-mail (paul.kar...@seksko.slu.se) no later than January 15 2011.
