Post-doctoral Fellowship or Ph.D. Research Assistantship in Avian Habitat Modeling
University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Forest Ecology and Management Closing date: September 15, 2006 One position is available for a highly motivated PhD graduate student or post-doctoral fellow. The successful applicant will have a strong interest in wildlife ecology, landscape ecology, and conservation. The research focus area is northern Wisconsin forests. Research involves 1) assessing and 2) modeling habitat for avian species in a spatially explicit framework, and 3) scenario development for future management actions. Background: With concern for declining wildlife species populations, land management agencies frequently respond with single species management plans. The challenges related to this response are the lack of a coordinated over-arching vision, management plans for individual species that may be at odds with other single species plans, and uneven treatment of all species. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recently drafted a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (CWCP), which identifies Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and their habitats (see http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/wwap/plan/). A brief list of threats and conservation actions was developed for each of these species and the habitats in which they significantly occur within Wisconsins Ecological Landscapes. The broad goal related to this position is to identify conservation actions across northern Wisconsin that will sustain populations of all Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The person in this position will determine where and how much of each forest habitat type and seral stage is needed to sustain populations of birds on the list of SGCN, analyze current forest conditions, including their seral stage and spatial arrangement, and develop alternative scenarios for future conservation actions and opportunities. Using primarily existing data sets, the person in this position will use remote sensing, GIS, and statistics to accomplish this goal. Working under Dr. Volker Radeloff and Dr. Anna Pidgeon, and collaborating with Dr. David Mladenoff, the student will join the research team in the SILVIS Lab in the Department of Forest Ecology and Management (http://forest.wisc.edu) at UW-Madison. A listing of current members of the lab and research projects can be found at the SILVIS Lab website (http://www.silvis.forest.wisc.edu/silvis.asp). Candidates should have the following skills: - Educational background in landscape, wildlife, or avian ecology, population modeling, geography, forestry, environmental science, or a related discipline; - Interest in remote sensing, biodiversity monitoring, and conservation; - Experience and/or some background in remote sensing analysis; - Experience and/or some background in habitat or population modeling; - Motivation to work independently and to publish in peer-reviewed journals; - proficiency with GIS and/or statistical analysis software; - Strong English writing and verbal communication skills are required. Potential applicants should submit the following (electronically preferred) to Anna Pidgeon at [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Cover letter summarizing research interests and academic and professional background - Resume/ CV - Copies of transcripts (unofficial transcripts acceptable at this point) - GRE scores, if available - Names and contact information for three references (no letters needed at this time) This position is available either as a PhD assistantship or as a Post Doctoral Fellowship, and begins January 2007. The PhD assistantship is available for a 3-year period and includes an annual stipend of $18,480, health insurance, and a tuition waiver. See http://www.wisc.edu/grad/ for further information about the Graduate School at UW-Madison. Any offer of an assistantship is dependent upon acceptance to the Graduate School. For the Post-doctoral Fellowship we ask for a 2-year commitment. The annual stipend for a post-doc is $38,000. The University of Wisconsin Madison is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. The University of Wisconsin is a major research university in the United States ranking 2nd in research expenditures among all U.S. universities and first among public universities. Total student enrollment is 41,000 of which 11,400 are graduate and professional students. UW-Madison has a long history of excellence in theoretical and applied ecology, conservation biology, geography, and remote sensing science. Madison, Wisconsin ranks as one of the top places in the U.S. to live and work. For information about the campus and city of Madison, see http://www.uc.wisc.edu/profile/
