Graduate Research Opportunities in Tropical Stream Ecology Two PhD. graduate research assistantships are available for a highly motivated students interested in tropical stream ecosystems. Both positions will be associated with a newly awarded NSF-FIBR grant designed to examine feedbacks between ecological and evolutionary processes. The discovery of rapid evolution in natural systems indicates that evolution and ecological dynamics can unfold on a common, measurable time scale. The goals of our project are to characterize these dynamics in a natural ecosystem and test specific hypotheses addressing ecological processes, selective pressures, and evolutionary trajectories. The study expands upon long-term research of guppy evolution in Trinidad by explicitly incorporating aspects of stream ecosystem science. More specifically, ecosystem-scale manipulations (predator abundance and light manipulations) will be used to examine guppy and killifish life history evolution, population dynamics, community structure and ecosystem dynamics. The positions advertised here will be associated with the ecosystem component of the study in which isotope tracer experiments (15N-NH4) and metabolism measurements will be used to quantify experimental conditions, construct nutrient flow food webs, and assess ecosystem scale impacts of species introduction and subsequent life history evolution.
Successful candidates will have the opportunity to work closely with researchers and fellow graduate students from UC-Riverside, Cornell University, Univ. of Georgia, and several other institutions. Field work associated with this project will be conducted in TrinidadÂ’s northern mountain range and will begin in January, 2007. Successful candidates will participate in research design, field experimentation, data analysis, and publication. Because students will be required to spend extended periods of time in Trinidad conducting research in montane rain forests, candidates with extensive travel and/or field experience are desired. Interested individuals should submit a cover letter that includes a brief review of your research experience/interests/goals (2 pg max) and a CV to: Dr. Steve Thomas School of Natural Resources University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE 68583-0995 For more information contact Dr. Thomas at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To learn more about graduate studies at the University of Nebraska and to request an application form, see the School of Natural Resource web site (http://snr.unl.edu/). Application deadline is open.
