PH.D. RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP, DISTURBANCE ECOLOGY The Silviculture and Ecology Lab (Website: http://silvicultureandecology.weebly.com/; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SilivicultureAndEcologyLab) is seeking applicants for a Ph.D. Research Assistantship position in Disturbance Ecology. The position is located in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University in Clemson, SC. Clemson is a land-grant university situated in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina, USA. In addition to the 1,400-acre campus the school has access to 18,000 acres on the University Forests and Farms near Clemson and 16,000 acres of land on the coast on Hobcaw Barony, both devoted to teaching, research, and outreach. Clemson University is recognized as a top 20 public university by U.S. News and World Report.
The assistantship will support a student who is interested in conduct his/her dissertation research aimed to understanding disturbances as major drivers of tree species distribution and abundance. Climate and topo-edaphic factors have been long regarded as drivers of forest distribution while the role of disturbances has only been explicitly acknowledged during recent decades. In some regions, however, disturbances could be more important than other ecological factors in regulating tree species distribution and abundance. Yet their role has not been well studied. Our lab has been conducting research on the impact of a wide variety of forest disturbances, including fire, hurricane, drought, ice storm, flood, and biological invasion. These applied research projects have provided us with valuable insights on the role of disturbances in regulating species distribution and abundance. As a result, we would like to develop a Ph.D. project within the following framework, with the purpose to understand disturbances as major drivers of tree species distribution and abundance at multiple spatial scales. At the landscape scale, we are interested in studying species distribution and abundance on sites of differing disturbance impact and quality. For example, species dominance in a particular location may be influenced more by interactions between species traits and the overriding disturbance regime (e.g., longleaf pine in area with frequent fire, broadleaf evergreen in areas with less frequent or intense ice storms) than by climatic or topo-edaphic conditions. We have data available on differential responses of tree species to direct damage from the 2014 major ice storm event (funded by NSF) and will continue to monitor the long-term growth implications of tree damage (funded by USFS). We expect the differential responses to disturbances among tree species will manifested in their local abundance and regional distribution. At the regional scale, it is well documented that forests in eastern USA have been strongly influenced by several major and reoccurring disturbances such as surface fires, hurricanes, and ice storms. We are interested in characterizing the historical disturbance regime for each major disturbance type and then explore how each disturbance regime has influenced the distribution and abundance of tree species, based on available data. We expect that a strong disturbance effect will override climatic and/or topo-edaphic influences. At the global scale, we are interested in conducting a cross-continental comparison between eastern USA and eastern China, two regions similar in climate but with contrasting disturbance regimes. We expect that forests in eastern China, due to less influence from major disturbances, would display stronger climatic control on the distribution and abundance of tree species than forests in eastern USA. The student will have freedom to develop his/her dissertation research within the above framework but must include the study of ice storms. Should the cross continental comparison approach be included, you will have close collaborations with Chinese scientists, and we will also have support for you to conduct necessary research in China. QUALIFICATIONS: We are seeking an outstanding candidate with BS and/or MS in Forestry, Ecology, Botany, Biology, and Environmental Sciences. A past record of referred publication, field research experience, and strong quantitative skill are desirable. TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The student will be offered a full assistantship ($20,000/year) plus a tuition waiver. The assistantship is for three years, which is renewable annually based on satisfactory performance. Competitive university/college/department scholarships are available for outstanding candidates, and students working in our lab have had a great track record to obtain these scholarships. Supplementary teaching assistantship may also be available. APPLICATION DEADLINE: The position remains open until filled. However, we are targeting a starting date in August 2016 or January 2017. APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Please email a single PDF file (lastname_disturbance.pdf) including (1) a letter of interest with applicant’s contact information; (2) names, titles, and contact information for 3 references; (3) GRE and TOFEL (if applicable) scores; (4) an unofficial transcripts for previous BS and MS degrees; and (5) a Curriculum Vitae to: Dr. Geoff Wang Clemson University Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation 226 Lehotsky Hall Clemson, SC 29634-0310 gw...@clemson.edu 864-656-4864 Faculty Profile: http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/faculty_staff/profiles/gwang Google Scholar Citation: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MTYrvB4AAAAJ&hl=en Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/G_Wang Clemson University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status or genetic information.
