Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at the Graduate School of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Bioscience programme available from 1 November 2013 or later.
Title: Macroecology of mammal-plant interactions Research area and project description: This PhD project is part of a new ERC Starting Grant project MACROECOLOGICAL STUDIES OF LONG-TERM HISTORICAL CONSTRAINTS ON FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING ACROSS CONTINENTS (HISTFUNC). The objective of HISTFUNC is to apply macroecological analyses to provide ground-breaking assessments of large-scale drivers of functional diversity and ecosystem functioning, including effects of diversity on functioning. In particular, it will assess the novel hypothesis that ecosystem functioning is subject to long-term (10^2-10^7 year) constraints mediated by biodiversity effects and driven by past climate change and other historical factors. The PhD project will contribute to this broader objective by investigating macroecological relations between plant and mammal functional diversity and evolutionary-historical constraints hereon. The functional diversity of producers (vascular plants) and multi-trophic-level consumers (mammals) is likely to be linked, given the evidence for the importance of multi-trophic interactions. Nevertheless, while many community studies have investigated trophic links between mammals and plants, only a couple of studies have explicitly focused on how mammal and plant species diversity are linked on geographic scales. and none have previously assessed if and how functional diversity of these groups are linked. Further, historical constraints on either groups functional diversity may indirectly also shape the functional diversity of the other group via such links. The PhD project will address these questions using macroecological analyses integrating data on distributions, traits, phylogenies, and current and past environments. Qualifications and specific competences: Applicants to the PhD position must have a relevant masters degree in ecology or evolutionary biology (or equivalent) or have submitted their master thesis for assessment before the application deadline. To be recruited for this position solid experience in statistical analyses is required, ideally in spatial statistical modeling implemented in R. Experience with analyses of functional and/or phylogenetic diversity would also be an advantage. The successful candidate is expected to have good skills in English and applicants with a non-Danish Master's degree must document strong English language qualifications. Place of Employment and Place of Work: The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is the Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity Group, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. Contacts: Professor Jens-Christian Svenning, phone +45 28992304 (cell) or 87156571 (office). e-mail: svenn...@biology.au.dk Application instructions: http://talent.au.dk/phd/scienceandtechnology/opencalls/specific-projects/macroecology-of-mammal-plant-interactions/
