ASSISTANTSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR GRADUATE RESEARCH IN BOREAL SYSTEMS University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
We have immediate openings for 3 graduate students to undertake research at the PhD (preferred) or MSc level to assess the effects of forest harvesting practices on aquatic-terrestrial interactions in northern Ontario, Canada. The students will be housed in the Department of Environmental Biology at the University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, with opportunities for interactions with other academic institutions and provincially-based government agencies. Students should indicate which study they wish to apply for and their experience pertaining to the position requested. Send the letter, along with a curriculum vitae/resume and unofficial transcripts to: Dr. Paul K. Sibley Department of Environmental Biology University of Guelph Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1 Phone: 519-824-4120 ext 52707 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------- 1) Spatially Explicit Hydro-Biogeochemical Assessment of Forest Harvesting. The student will monitor biogeochemical indicators to assess disturbance impacts on streamflow properties on hydrological (water yield, peak and low flows) responses to harvesting practices. These data will be used, in part, to develop spatially explicit hydro-biogeochemical models. We are interested in students with strong backgrounds in forest science and/or aquatic-terrestrial interactions and who have experience in one or more of hydrology, watershed-scale processes, GIS, and modeling. ------------------------------ 2) Responses of Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Periphyton Communities to Forest Harvesting in Boreal Aquatic Systems. The student will focus on the structural (e.g., invertebrate community composition) and functional (primary/secondary productivity, functional feeding groups) responses of macroinvertebrate and benthic algal communities in boreal lakes and streams in relation to harvesting practices in adjacent riparian zones. Persons with experience in aquatic invertebrate/algal ecology/taxonomy, watershed-scale processes, GIS, or modeling are encouraged to apply. ------------------------------ 3) Aquatic and Terrestrial Microbial Communities as Indicators of Response to Forest Harvesting. This study will focus on the assessment of structural and functional responses of microbial communities of aquatic-terrestrial ecotones (riparian areas) to forest harvesting practices. The student will use traditional and molecular-based tools to assess the relative sensitivity of aquatic or soil microbial communities to harvesting disturbance and evaluate their suitability as indicators of disturbance. Persons with a background in environmental microbiology and experience in microbiological techniques are encouraged to apply.
