[ECOLOG-L] Biometeorologist/Meteorologist/Atmospheric Modeler: - NEON Post doc opportunity
Overview The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON, Inc.) is a nonprofit science corporation dedicated to understanding how changes in climate, land use and invasive species impact ecology. Currently under design is the NEON project - an observatory comprising more than 60 environmental and biological monitoring locations distributed throughout twenty domains across the United States, Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. These observations and experiments will be monitored and controlled in real-time from our headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. Position Summary The Fundamental Instrument Unit (FIU) consists of an automated suite of meteorological, atmospheric, soil and ecophysiological measurements. The position will support Science project development and management activities. The FIU employs tower-based micrometeorological data products (incl. eddy covariance). Sources of uncertainties can be identified from flow statistics, topography, and land cover (source/sink strengths). This position provides a unique opportunity to develop state of the art models into the NEON design, for example, combining the traditional data quality assessment with topography, land cover, and analytic footprint modeling. This position directly contributes in making NEON’s flux measurements part of a world-class observatory through state-of-the-art techniques. All NEON scientists are stewards of this global resource. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: • Coordinate, design and execute innovative airshed analyses, • Develop analytical procedures to quality assess micrometeorological processes through the spatial integration of variables, e.g., topography, land cover, and footprint modeling, and incorporate them into uncertainty analyses • Coordinate FIU dataflows with other related NEON groups, • Develop plans for evaluating and transferring research-grade programming into an operational and production framework Required Experience: • 1-5 years experience in meteorological-related work using physical and empirical models • Experience with quantitative uncertainty analyses and time-series analyses, • Experience delivering a final product from concept through testing to completion, • Experience in programming meteorological analyses with diverse types of datasets • Experience working in a collaborative scientific or engineering enterprise, and • Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in written and oral forms Education: • Doctoral degree in an environmental science field (e.g., biometeorology, ecosystem science, micrometeorology, atmospheric modeling) or a related field. • Recent PhD graduates may apply (post-doc position). Preferred Experience: • Working at the synoptic to local scale • Some work experience with production data flows • Knowledge of a wide range of meteorological related sensors, and measurement techniques and their associated data acquisition and analysis procedures, • Design of data visualization tools, • Ability to develop the dataflow designs for different and contrasting data types. Skills and Abilities: • Critical thinking, scientific writing and review, • Ability to travel (infrequently), plus travel to conferences • Quantification of spatial and temporal variation of data quality properties and processes • Understanding of micrometeorological processes and ecosystem modeling, • Demonstrated problem-solving and communication skills, and who can successfully apply experience, judgment, and creativity to both short- and long-term challenges, • One who can create new opportunities within this field and use novel methods, analyses and approaches to tackle continental-scale research. • Desired knowledge base of both instrument hardware and software development. To Apply: go to www.neoninc.org NEON Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, Minorities, Veterans and Disabled Persons are encouraged to apply.
[ECOLOG-L] MSc research project available to study the influence of forest harvesting
We are looking for an MSc candidate to participate in a research project on the changes in abundance of different wildlife groups (insects, birds, small mammals and snowshoe hare) along a gradient of forest succession. More specifically, the objective is to understand source-sink dynamics for several species along chronosequences resulting from forest harvesting. The student will have to evaluate biodiversity patterns and identify factors influencing habitat quality along the chronosequences. Fieldwork (summer and winter) will take place in Côte-Nord region of Québec’s boreal forest. A PhD student will also be involved in the project, but he/she will work on a different species group. Qualifications: Laval University is a French university and some basic French is therefore desirable. Knowledge of GIS and field experience are an advantage. A fellowship of 15,000$/year is available for 2 years for the MSc candidate. However, students admissible for NSERC and FQRNT fellowships will be favored. Documents to provide: Applicants for this position should forward a short covering letter indicating their motivation, accompanied by a current CV, unofficial transcripts and contact information of three references. We will start reviewing the applications on 23 August 2010. Daniel Fortin Département de biologie, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, 1045, av. de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec (Qc) G1V 0A6, Canada Courriel : daniel.for...@bio.ulaval.ca
[ECOLOG-L] PhD research project available to study the influence of forest harvesting
We are looking for a PhD candidate to participate in a research project on the changes in abundance of different wildlife groups (insects, birds, small mammals and snowshoe hare)along a gradient of forest succession. More specifically, the objective is to understand sourcesink dynamics for several species along chronosequences resulting from forest harvesting. The student will have to evaluate biodiversity patterns and identify factors influencing habitat quality along the chronosequences. Fieldwork (summer and winter) will take place in Côte-Nord region of Québec’s boreal forest. An MSc student will also be involved in the project, but he/she will work on a different species group. Qualifications: Have completed an M.Sc. in biological sciences or in forestry. Have a strong interest in biodiversity conservation, sylviculture and statistics. Laval University is a French university and some basic French is therefore desirable. Knowledge of GIS and field experience are an advantage. A fellowship of 18,500$/year is available for 3 years. However, students admissible for NSERC and FQRNT fellowships will be favored. Documents to provide: Applicants for this position should forward a short covering letter indicating their motivation, accompanied by a current CV, unofficial transcripts and contact information of three references. We will start reviewing the applications on 23 August 2010. Daniel Fortin Département de biologie, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon 1045, av. de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec (Qc) G1V 0A6, Canada Courriel : daniel.for...@bio.ulaval.ca
[ECOLOG-L] PhD research project available to study woodland caribou and grey wolf
We are looking for a PhD student to participate in a research project on caribou and wolf interactions in the boreal forest of the Côte-Nord region of Québec. The research objective is to assess the efficiency of current management plans for the conservation of woodland caribou living under wolf predation. More specifically, the PhD student will evaluate the interplay between space use patterns and the physical condition and survival of marked caribou. The research should also identify how landscape structure influences predation by wolf. Overall the project should provide information useful to anticipate the long-term persistence of caribou populations in managed forests. The project will involve little fieldwork but will require a detailed evaluation of GPS locations collected on approximately 45 caribou and 6 wolf packs. The candidate will be part of a research group combining researchers and graduate students from Laval University (www.sylvifaune.ulaval.ca) and the Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune (S. Couturier). Qualifications: Have completed an M.Sc. in biological sciences or forestry. Have a strong interest in wildlife conservation, quantitative ecology and statistics. Laval University is a French institution and some basic French is desirable. Knowledge of GIS is also an advantage. A fellowship of 18 500$/year is available for 3 years. However, students admissible for NSERC and FQRNT fellowships will be favored. Documents to provide by email: Applicants for this position should forward a short covering letter indicating their motivation, accompanied by a current CV, unofficial transcripts and contact information of three references. We will start reviewing the applications on 23 August 2010. Daniel Fortin Département de biologie, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon 1045, av. de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec (Qc) G1V 0A6, Canada Email: daniel.for...@bio.ulaval.ca
[ECOLOG-L] POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH PROJECT: WOLF predation and PLAINS BISON distribution
We are looking for a post-doctoral fellow to participate in a research project on the spatial dynamics of bison distribution in Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan. The project will evaluate the interplay among predation risk, group dynamics, and dietary choice of free-ranging plains bison. We are particularly interested in linking group size and mortality risk in bison. Fieldwork will include behavioural observations of bison groups, collection of wolf feces, and radio-tracking of bison and wolves. Bison (>30) and 3-4 wolf packs will be followed with GPS collars. The post-doctoral fellow will have administrative responsibilities, which include: 1. Writing scientific papers, progress reports, and posters. 2. Helping to plan and supervise fieldwork. 3. Maintaining the project's database, as well as supervising and verifying contributions from employees and students. 4. Advising and assisting researchers and students in their studies. Qualifications: Hold a PhD in terrestrial ecology or related field. Be familiar with the use of Geographic Information Systems, and have field experience. Université Laval is a French university and some basic French can be an asset. A fellowship of 35,000$/year is available for up to 2 years. Documents to provide by email: Applicants for this position should forward a short covering letter indicating their motivation, accompanied by a current CV, and contact information of three references. We will start reviewing the applications on 23 August 2010. 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
[ECOLOG-L] POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH PROJECT: RESEARCH CHAIR IN SIVICULTURE AND WILDLIFE
The NSERC-Université Laval Industrial Research Chair in Silviculture and Wildlife has research opportunities for one post-doctoral fellow to participate in its research program. The program seeks to develop silviculture systems suited for the sustainable management of uneven-aged boreal forests. The post-doctoral project should commence no later than August 2010, with a duration of 1-2 years. A fellowship of 35,000$ per year will be available. Research theme 1: Modelling animal communities in managed boreal forest – The project aims to model animal-habitat relationships in the managed forests of the Côte-Nord region of Québec. The study will integrate information on forest structure, composition, and management with data on animal communities that have been collected as part of the chair’s studies. Species groups to be considered include invertebrates, forest birds, and small mammals. A number of indicator species have been identified in uncut forests. We now need to determine whether these species are also adequate indicators of local species assemblages in post- logging forests. The following article presents one way to analyse the data: Azeria et al. 2009. Diversity and Distributions 15: 958-71. Research theme 2: Response of animal communities to various silvicultural practices – The postdoctoral fellow could characterize the impact of silvicultural practices on the foraging behaviour of small mammals. The results should reveal spatio-temporal variations in the perception of foragers to predation risk and competition intensity. The following paper presents a similar study: Lemaître et al.2010. Evolutionary Ecology Research 12: 203-16. The post-doctoral fellow should also become involved in other on-going studies, such as on woodland caribou. We are therefore looking for candidates with broad interests and skills. Please visit “www.sylvifaune.ulaval.ca” to find out more about the chair’s studies. The post-doctoral fellow will have administrative responsibilities, which include: 1. Writing scientific papers, progress reports, and posters. 2. Helping to plan and supervise fieldwork. 3. Maintaining the project's database, as well as supervising and verifying contributions from employees and students. 4. Developing and maintaining links with practitioners, managers and researchers in order to promote an exchange on chair-related work. 5. Advising and assisting researchers and students in their studies. Qualifications: Hold a PhD in terrestrial ecology, forestry, biostatistics or related field. Have extensive research experience in animal or community ecology. Have in-depth knowledge of ecological modelling and contemporary multivariate statistical methods. Be familiar with the use of Geographic Information Systems. Université Laval is a French university and some basic French is an asset. Documents to provide by email: Applicants for this position should forward me a short cover letter indicating their motivation, accompanied by a current CV and the names and contact information of three references. We will begin to review the applications on 23 August 2010. 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
[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc in Disease Ecology
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE POSITION: COMMUNITY ECOLOGY OF DISEASE Drs. Elizabeth Borer and Eric Seabloom (Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota) are recruiting a Postdoctoral Researcher. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, fixed-term position with renewal based on performance and funding. Salary is negotiable and commensurate with education and experience. The purpose of this position is to conduct and publish results from scholarly research in the general area of disease community ecology including topics such as effects of pathogen diversity, host diversity, and resource supply rates on pathogen dynamics in complex natural systems. This position is part of a large collaborative research effort including faculty, postdocs, and graduate students at University of Minnesota, Cornell University, University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Princeton University. While the principal focus of the empirical work has been on plant viral pathogens (barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses) in natural grasslands, applicants interested in more general theoretical questions applicable to plant, wildlife, and human disease systems are encouraged to apply. We are also accepting applicants with strong empirical skills especially in using PCR and genomic tools to quantify pathogen communities. CONTACT INFORMATION For technical questions on this position please contact Elizabeth Borer (bo...@umn.edu). APPLICATION INFORMATION This job posting will remain open until the position is filled, but applicants are encouraged to apply by September 1, 2010. For further information on this position and to submit application materials go to: employment.umn.edu and search for requisition 167375 or go directly to: employment.umn.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=88766 Application materials include: 1) Cover letter summarizing interests and qualifications 2) Resume/Vita 3) Names and contact information of at least three professional references
[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc/Project Coordinator for Nutrient Network
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE POSITION Nutrient Network (NutNet) Coordinator Drs. Elizabeth Borer and Eric Seabloom (Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota) are recruiting a Postdoctoral Researcher. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, fixed-term position with renewal based on performance and funding. Salary is negotiable and commensurate with education and experience. The purpose of this position is to assist in the coordination of a collaborative experimental network composed of roughly 70 collaborators at 50 research sites around the world. Each site is conducting an identical experimental manipulation of nutrients and consumers. This position will include management of the extensive network dataset, development of web-based data tools, planning and coordination of several meetings of network data contributors at University of Minnesota, development of educational materials, and emphasize conducting scholarly research. Further information on NutNet can be found at: http://nutnet.science.oregonstate.edu/ CONTACT INFORMATION For technical questions on this position please contact Elizabeth Borer (bo...@umn.edu). APPLICATION INFORMATION This job posting will remain open until the position is filled, but applicants are encouraged to apply by September 1, 2010. For further information on this position and to submit application materials go to: employment.umn.edu and search for requisition 167371 or go directly to: employment.umn.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=88762 Application materials include: 1) Cover letter summarizing interests and qualifications 2) Resume/Vita 3) Names and contact information of at least three professional references