Postdoctoral Research Opportunity Forecasting Terrestrial Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in a Great Plains River Basin
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Biology at Kansas State University is sought to lead a dynamic interdisciplinary project to forecast responses by grassland insects to ecological properties in the Kansas River basin. Fragmentation of habitats associated with anthropogenic activities throughout the Great Plains have resulted in a strong shift in community composition that may compromise biotic integrity and ecosystem function. This NSF-funded project will focus on the Kansas River basin, a region that includes climatic and human impact gradients to assess changes in species distributions and communities related to impacts on ecosystem processes. The candidate for this position will focus on the biodiversity of grassland insects (especially grasshoppers), and employ spatial analysis of connectivity and landscape relationships and biodiversity modeling to assess relationships. Changes in species distributions and community structure will be assessed by developing surveys to establish a substantial georeferenced database of targeted insect taxa. The candidate will interact closely with similarly structured groups assessing aquatic biodiversity and terrestrial plant biodiversity at KSU and the biodiversity modeling group at the University of Kansas. The principal investigators on this portion of the project are: Anthony Joern (terrestrial insect ecology), Keith Gido (aquatic biodiversity) and John Blair (terrestrial ecosystem ecology) at Kansas State University. Qualifications: The candidate must have a completed Ph.D. in the area of ecology, insect ecology, or landscape ecology and significant experience sampling insects. The preferred candidate will have experience in the analysis of species diversity patterns and ecological data; expertise in geographic information systems is highly desirable. Experience working in terrestrial ecosystems is also preferred. The ability to work in a group setting is essential as this researcher will work collaboratively with the PIs, other groups with similar and complementary goals, several graduate students, and a part time technician. Duration and Start Date: Initial appointment is for 1 year, and may be renewed for a second year depending upon satisfactory performance. Anticipated start date is August 2006, but start date is negotiable. Location: Kansas State University (http://www.ksu.edu) is located in the city of Manhattan (http://www.core.manhattan.ks.us), a vibrant university community of about 50,000 in the scenic Flint Hills of northcentral Kansas. Manhattan is about 1.5 hours from the collaborating University of Kansas and 2 hours from Kansas City. To Apply: Send a letter of interest describing qualifications, curriculum vitae, up to three relevant reprints, and have four recommendations (electronic versions of all materials are preferred) sent to Dr. Anthony Joern ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). For more information concerning the nature of this position, contact Dr. Anthony Joern (785-532-7073). Deadline: Review of applications will commence 10 April 2006 and continue until the position is filled. KSU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, and actively seeks diversity among its employees
