PhD research assistanship Population viability analysis of free-ranging PLAINS BISON
The Plains Bison population of Prince Albert National Park (Saskatchewan) is one of a few wild plains bison populations remaining in North America. In recent years, the population has declined by approximately 50% because of the combined effect of disease, predation and harvest. The objective of this research is to gather information about bison population demographics, harvest pressure, and habitat use and requirements to define sustainable harvest using spatially explicit population viability models. The student will benefit from a long-term database on bison and wolf distribution. Additional fieldwork will be necessary to determine bison recruitment, and wolf-bison interactions. Qualifications: Hold an MSc in terrestrial ecology or related field. Be familiar with the use of Geographic Information Systems, and have field experience. Université Laval is a French university, and the student will be asked to learn French within the first two years. A scholarship of 18,500$/year is available for 3 years. However, students admissible for NSERC and FQRNT fellowships will be favored. Documents to provide by email: Applicants for this position should forward a short cover letter indicating their motivation, accompanied by a current CV, unofficial transcripts and contact information of three references. We will start reviewing the applications on 1 April 2014. Daniel Fortin Département de biologie, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, 1045, av. de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec (Qc) G1V 0A6, Canada Email: daniel.for...@bio.ulaval.ca
