The University of Minnesota, Department of Forest Resources is seeking two PhD students to participate in an interdisciplinary research project examining peatland forests in northern Minnesota with focus on either 1) stand dynamics and successional direction, or 2) hydrology and soils. The students will work with investigators in the Department of Forest Resources, the Natural Resource Research Institute, and multiple natural resource management agencies (state, counties, federal, private, and non-profit), to holistically evaluate peatland forest communities across a chronosequence following harvesting. The research will involve summer fieldwork at project sites in northern Minnesota, and will utilize field and lab experimental approaches. The students will be responsible for conducting field and lab work in support of project goals, analyzing data, and preparing peer-reviewed publications.
The start date is somewhat flexible, but preferably the students will begin field work in early summer 2019 with classes beginning the following fall at UMN Twin Cities. Three years of guaranteed funding are available to cover stipend (~ $21,000 annually), tuition waiver, and health insurance with additional support likely from teaching and research assistantships. Qualifications: Stand dynamics and succession topic: B.Sc. and M.Sc. with emphasis in forestry, forest management, forest ecology, silviculture or other relevant fields. Knowledge of basic forest inventory methods and plant identification of regional flora is desired. Hydrology and soils topic: B.Sc. and M.Sc. with emphasis in forest soils, ecohydrology, forest management, or other relevant fields. Knowledge of soil sampling and analysis, forest hydrology measurements, and data analysis are required; skills in deterministic- and process-based modelling are desired. Both applicants must be able to work independently in both lab and field settings, but also interact cooperatively with other researchers and graduate students associated with the Department. Applicants should have a strong work and leadership ethic, and demonstrated writing / quantitative capabilities. For additional information on the lab see - https://silvalab.cfans.umn.edu/ Interested candidates should submit their CV, undergraduate transcripts and GRE scores, and a cover letter that includes a statement of which broad topic area you are interested in. Deadline for receiving applications is December 10, 2018. For more information please contact either: Dr. Marcella Windmuller-Campione (mw...@umn.edu, 612-624-3699) Dr. Rob Slesak (rasle...@umn.edu, 651-603-6756)
