[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Research Assistantship in Forest Ecology

[Hallgren, Steve]

Graduate Research Assistantship in Forest Ecology

I seek a student of ecology to fill a MS GRA position in forest ecology to 
research the consequences of abrupt canopy tree mortality on forest succession 
in upland oak forests.  Old-growth oak stands suffered unusual total canopy 
mortality in 2008 that killed nearly 70 ha of forest in several stands 
surrounded by hundreds of ha of apparently healthy forests.  We have extensive 
measurements of the herbaceous and woody plants in these stands before and 
after canopy death.  Further study and re-measurement is warranted to determine 
effects on forest succession and biogeochemical cycles.  Will these dead stands 
recover to forest or change to grassland?  If the forest recovers, will it have 
the same composition as the original forest.  How will N and C pools and cycles 
change due to the sudden death.  As these stands are frequently 
prescribe-burned we would like to know the effects of fire on recovery from the 
sudden canopy death.  Increasing drought due to global change may lead to more 
abrupt forest death and more openings.  This study will provide new knowledge 
about the consequences of sudden forest canopy death.  The successful candidate 
will have considerable leeway to design a high quality project.

The MS Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) stipend will be $15,500 per year.  
The GRA will begin in August 2012 and will be renewed for two years provided 
satisfactory progress in the project.  GRAs are offered with tuition waivers 
and health insurance.

Please contact:  Steve Hallgren, Oklahoma State University, 405-744-6805, 
steve.hallg...@okstate.edumailto:steve.hallg...@okstate.edu

Steve Hallgren
022 Ag Hall
Natural Resource Ecology and Management
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
office: 405-744-6805
FAX: 405-744-3530

[ECOLOG-L] Graduate research assistantship in forest ecology

[John Caspersen]

Two fully-funded Ph.D. research assistantships in forest ecology are 
available at the University of Toronto. Both Ph.D. candidates will examine 
how hardwood forests should be managed to supply biomass for the production 
of clean energy in Ontario.

One of the candidates will focus on quantifying trade-offs between the 
supply of wood for energy and the supply of deadwood for wildlife habitat. 
In particular, the candidate will quantify the amount and value of wood 
products that can be recovered from whole-tree harvests (including all 
branches down to 4 cm diameter), and assess the impact of whole-tree 
harvesting on both coarse and fine woody debris.

A second PhD student will focus on quantifying the impact of whole-tree 
harvesting for bioenergy production on soil nutrient cycling. In 
particular, the candidate will quantify changes in the availability of 
macro- and micronutrients, with the aim of assessing the long-term 
sustainability of whole-tree harvesting. Within this project, soil 
microbial communities responsible for nutrient supply through decomposition 
and subsequent transformations will be studied in part using new molecular 
ecology approaches.

Qualifications: 1) sincere interest in both forest ecology and forestry, 2) 
ability to conduct field work in remote locations under challenging 
conditions, 3) strong quantitative skills, 4) strong laboratory skills 
(position #2), 4) valid drivers' licence (Canadian or US licence 
preferred), and 5) excellent oral and written communication skills in 
English. Strong applicants who wish to pursue a master's degree will also 
be considered.

The research will be conducted  in collaboration with John Caspersen 
(Faculty of Forestry), Nathan Basiliko (Department of Geography) and Trevor 
Jones (Ontario Forest Research Institute, OMNR). Applicants should send a 
letter of enquiry and curriculum vitae to John Caspersen 
([EMAIL PROTECTED]) or Nathan Basiliko
([EMAIL PROTECTED] ). Qualified applicants will be asked to apply 
to the Faculty of Forestry or the Department of Geography. Applications 
will be reviewed beginning January 15th, but the positions will remain open 
until suitable candidates are selected.