The Mountain Legacy Project <http://mountainlegacy.ca/> (MLP;
mountainlegacy.ca), based at the School of Environmental Studies at the
University of Victoria, Canada, invites applications for one or two PhD
positions on our “New Natures and Mountain Landscapes” project starting
in 2018.
The MLP is working with the world’s largest collection of comparative
(before and after) mountain photographs—120,000 historical images taken
throughout the Western Canadian mountains in the early 1900s, and 7,000+
repeat images gathered through intensive fieldwork over the last two
decades—and used them to examine social and ecological change across the
region. Our research has shown that the degree of change in these
landscapes over the past century is staggering. Multiple social and
ecological factors have intersected to radically and quickly transform
these landscapes into what have become known as “new natures”—ecosystems
and landscapes that depart significantly from historical patterns and
processes. As new natures become increasingly widespread, environmental
scholars, policy specialists, and land managers face complicated
decisions and difficult trade-offs when they study and plan for possible
interventions, including restoration. Processes such as fire, flooding,
pathogens, species invasions and range shifts, and shifting human uses
open up implications for long-term responsibilities and actions.
To explore a typical image pair online, please visit the Explorer
<http://explore.mountainlegacy.ca/historic_captures/2402/comparisons>.
The link will take you to an image pair taken from Wilcox Ridge No. 1
survey station by Arthur Wheeler in 1918 as part of the Interprovincial
Boundary Survey between British Columbia and Alberta. The repeat image
taken by Mountain Legacy Project field teams in 2011 shows dramatic
recession in the Athabasca glacier, one of the most visited and iconic
in the Columbia Icefield of the Canadian Rockies. The historic images
are comprehensive, systematic, and high resolution, making them a
significant research resource.
Our new phase of research will focus on the drivers and patterns of
rapid change and explore models to guide decisions about human action in
response to new natures. *We are looking for PhD students to join the
team and lead our efforts to:*
(1) map new natures in mountain landscapes, using our extensive image
collection to identify and map regions along the Eastern Slope of the
Rocky Mountains in Alberta where ecological change appears to be outside
an expected historical range of variability.
(2) pioneer innovative decision models for appropriate human
intervention in these new natures, building on strategic foresight tools
and working with a wide network of actors involved in decision-making in
the Eastern Slopes of Alberta to consider a range of possible, probable,
or desirable futures.
Prospective students should hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field
(environmental studies, ecology, geography, forestry, etc) with
experience in restoration, historical ecology, landscape ecology,
conservation decision-making, or relevant social sciences. Good writing
skills, and strong experience with analytical, problem-solving,
lateral-thinking, interdisciplinary research are required. Experience
with computationally demanding problems, software development,
programming, or GIS are assets, as is previous experience working with
local communities.
Direct funding for PhD students would be $21,000/year for up to three
years, with possibilities for teaching assistantships and additional
grant support. Of course, we welcome students who have secured external
funding already, in which case our grant funds can provide a combination
of top-ups, field/equipment funding, and research assistance. We will
also welcome master’s students to the research team, but funding is more
likely to come from other sources.
You will be based in UVic’s School of Environmental Studies, under the
supervision of Dr. Eric Higgs with potential co-supervision by Dr.
Jeanine Rhemtulla or Dr. Tara Martin at the University of British
Columbia in Vancouver, who are co-investigators on the project. There is
a January 15, 2018 admissions deadline at UVic for a May or September
(preferred) 2018 program, and it is important to establish a strong
thematic and intellectual fit with research program and the School of
Environmental Studies well in advance.
If interested, please email eric.hi...@uvic.ca with the subject line
“New Natures and Mountain Landscapes PhD enquiry” no later than October
31, 2017. Please provide: (1) a description of your background; research
interests and fit; (2) your CV; and (3) unofficial transcript(s) of
previous degrees (please bundle these together as a single PDF file).
