Faculty of Forestry University of Toronto 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario Canada Graduate Assistantships (Starting year 2008-09)
The Faculty of Forestry is one of the world renowned institutions in forestry research, and it offers a highly productive, research-friendly, and innovations-oriented environment for graduate students and young researchers. The faculty offers a full funding package (M. Sc. F - $12,000 plus tuition and Ph. D. - $15,000 plus tuition) for a funded cohort period (2 years for M. Sc. F. and 4 years for Ph. D.) to all research stream graduate students. Many professors at the faculty are looking for graduate students in their respective areas. Details are given below: 1) Forest Biomaterials Science and Engineering Lab: Interested candidates should contact Prof. Paul Cooper ([EMAIL PROTECTED], 416-946-5078) Now, M.Sc.F. students at the Faculty can also do their research in the areas of Forest Biomaterial Science and Engineering. The M.Sc.F. program, with research thesis in these areas, is a two-year thesis-based program suitable for students with backgrounds in forestry, science or engineering who wish to gain a theoretical and applied understanding of bio-based energy, chemical products derived from forest resources or value-added wood products and processing through a combination of coursework and practical research experience. Funding for M. Sc. F. students is at the level of $12,000 plus fees per year for two years. The Faculty plans to take many students in this area for the next few years. 2) Prof. Shashi Kant's Lab (Forest Economics and Management) Interested candidates should contact Prof. Shashi Kant ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Prof. Kant is looking for two graduate (MScF or PhD) students. The applicants should have a strong background and research interest in economics, forest modeling, and agent-based modeling. Selected students will work on one of the following projects. Students will receive a full funding package as described above. Multi-Agent Modeling of Forest Management in Ontario: The main objectives are: (i) to develop a decentralized spatial forest management model (SFMM) that incorporates multiple forest values; (ii) to develop a SFMM that integrates decentralized and centralized approaches; and (iii) to develop a multi-agent based SFMM by integrating co-evolutionary and multi-agent simulation (MAS) approaches. The project envisages the use of cellular automata and agent-based modeling techniques. Evaluating the Ecological, Economic, and Social Tradeoffs of Managing for valued Plants and Other Non-timber Forest Products: The main objective of this project is to measure and compare the economic effects of four different forest practices on food and medicinal plants highly valued by First Nations in interior British Columbia. The project envisages to use non-market valuation techniques. 3) Prof. Malcolm Campbell's Lab (Forest Genomics) Interested candidates should contact Prof. Malcolm Campbell ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Applicants with a background in forest genetics or plant molecular biology are invited to apply for studentships in the Campbell laboratory to partake in the following research: 1) Environmental Genomics of Drought Acclimation in Plants: The successful candidate will characterise transcriptional regulons and epigenetic modifications involved in plant acclimation to drought, using comparative complete transcriptome analyses, epigenome analysis, and bioinformatics. The successful candidate will be integrated into a collaborative network project involving University of Toronto (M. Campbell), University of British Columbia (S. Mansfield), Simon Fraser University (A. Plant), Alberta Pacific Inc. (B. Thomas), Agriculture & Agrifood Canada Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (AAFC PFRA, W. Schroeder), and involve 2 post-docs and 4 graduate students. 2) Biomass and Bioenergy Improvement through Plant Phenogenomics: The successful candidate will be involved in the identification of genetic loci to enhance biomass conversion to bioenergy, using a plant phenogenomics approach. The successful candidate will be integrated into a collaborative network project involving University of Toronto (M. Campbell), University of British Columbia (S. Mansfield), Queen's Unviersity (S. Regan), and Alberta Pacific Inc. (B. Thomas), and involve 2 post-docs and 4 graduate students. Successful candidates will conduct research using our state-of-the-art facilities, using cutting-edge technologies, as a member of a highly enthusiastic and collegial team. All members of the Campbell lab receive generous top-ups to their base stipend, and other benefits including travel to national and/or international conferences. 4) Prof. Mohini Sain's Lab (Centre for Biocomposites and Biomaterials Processing) Interested candidates should contact Prof. Mohini Sain ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) The Centre for Biocomposites and Biomaterials Processing (CBBP) focuses on developing new materials and new processes using renewable bio-based materials. Biopolymers are developed using materials such as starch, vegetable oils and proteins. Bio-fibres, including micro- and nano-fibres, are extracted from main- and by-products from forestry and agricultural industry, such as wood waste, straw, soya bean stock, flax, hemp, etc. Such bio-fibres are mixed with biopolymers and/or petroleum-based polymers into biocomposites for various applications, including packaging, automotive, building products and electronics. Our centre is fully equipped to bring new materials from laboratory to pilot scale and to prototyping for production. Our processing equipment includes compounding (high intensity mixers and twin screw extruders), injection moulding, profile extrusion, sheet extrusion, foam extrusion, resin transfer moulding and compression moulding. Our analytical capabilities cover the following: most mechanical tests, rheological tests, thermal property tests, durability tests, fibre characterization (dimension and orientation), morphological, chemical and proteomic characterizations. In 2008, CBBP will require the following additional students and post-doctoral fellows: Ph.D. Student - Development of Protein Polymers for Renewable Sources Ph.D. Student - Co-injection Process of Bio-fibre composites Post-Doctoral Fellow - Proteomics of Fungal Strains Post-Doctoral Fellow - Novel Concepts of Processing Composites using Medium Density Natural Fibres 5) Prof. Sean Thomas' Lab Interested candidates should contact Prof. Sean Thomas ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) a) Large-scale forest plot studies: My lab has been closely involved in large-scale plot projects coordinated by the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS) of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute - which currently includes some 17 mapped plots with over 3.5 million trees. A current research initiative seeks to develop comparable datasets from temperate forests to better address large-scale comparative questions. For example, the effects of "natural enemies" on tree demographic patterns are thought to be more important in tropical than temperate forests, but large mapped plots in temperate forests have been lacking to adequately test this idea. Over the next few years we will be establishing the first forest "mega-plot" in North America at our research site at Haliburton Forest (prospectively 25 ha in size, with all woody stems 1 cm diameter identified and mapped). Initially studies based on this plot will focus on spatial analysis of tree distribution patterns, quantification of habitat and community associations with lake margins, and estimation of seed dispersal patterns. (Masters or PhD). b) Age-related changes in tree gas-exchange, leaf chemistry, and canopy structure: Currently funded work focuses on the implications of age-related changes in tree functional biology to aspects of "ecosystem function" such as carbon sequestration, litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics. Studies will make use of canopy access facilities at Haliburton Forest, Ontario, and potentially in tropical forest sites in Panama and Malaysia (and potentially the Caribbean nation of Dominica). Key applied aspects of this work are related to the question of how very old trees function, and thus how removal of old trees by harvesting alters forest ecosystems. (PhD). c) Comparative tree ecophysiology: particularly as related to tree ontogeny. What are the main axes of physiological variation that determine ecological variation co-occurring tree species? What physiological processes drive differences in tree habitat requirements? Answers to these questions require both survey studies that quantify tree habitat associations and their correlations with functional traits, and manipulative experiments (such as reciprocal transplant studies) that quantify responses to environmental variables. Tree habitat requirements (such as growth responses to light and maconutrients) appear to change markedly as trees grow and mature, but these changes and the underlying physiology processes involved remain very poorly understood. (PhD). d) Tree interactions with polypore fungi: (bracket fungi), specifically in relation to harvest-related damage, tree senescence, and biodiversity maintenance. Partial stand harvests (such as "variable retention") are widely advocated as a form of ecologically sustainable forestry. However, partial stand harvests always result in damage to residual trees, providing opportunities for woody tissue infection by opportunistic fungal pathogens. A particularly important group is the polypore (bracket) fungi. We have recently documented very large effects of post-harvest damage on tree growth and physiology, and also differences in fungal community structure between managed and unmanaged hardwood forests in Ontario. We suspect that polypore fungi are a main mechanism for these effects. Planned work will focus on hardwood forests in Ontario, and will involve a combination of field studies with development of molecular markers to enable identification of fungal pathogens at early stages of infection. In addition, collaborative work on biodiversity may also involve surveys of insect groups dependent on polypore fungi. (Masters or PhD). e) Forest management effects on greenhouse gas fluxes: An anticipated project in the lab will examine effects of partial stand harvests and forest fertilization on the fluxes of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide: specifically methane and nitrous oxide. Planned work will make use of both chamber measurements of soil and vegetation flux, and eddy covariance measurements making use of a fixed instrument tower at Haliburton Forest. This project will be conducted in collaboration with a soil microbial ecologist (Nathan Basiliko, UT Mississauga, Geography), and an atmospheric chemist (Jennifer Murphy, UT, Chemistry). (Masters or PhD). 5) Prof. John Caspersen's Lab Interested candidates should contact Prof. John Caspersen ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) A fully-funded Ph.D. research assistantship is available in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto. The Ph.D. candidate will examine the effects of stand structure and composition on crown architecture and wood quality, focusing on spruce, aspen and pine in pure and mixed stands in Ontario. This research will contribute to a larger NSERC Strategic Network project that seeks to develop decision-support systems for forest managers and wood manufacturers. As a participant in the ForValueNetwork, the Ph.D. candidate will have the opportunity to learn about other projects being conducted by network members, to enhance their knowledge and technical skills, and to collaborate with students and researchers in other parts of Canada. The Ph.D. candidate will be responsible for completing all four phases of the project: 1) compiling and analyzing tree and stand data for spruce, aspen, and pine from permanent sampling plot (PSP) datasets; 2) collecting field data in selected stands to evaluate effects of stand structure and composition on crown architecture and wood quality; 3) data analysis and modeling; and, 4) preparing progress reports, manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals and a thesis. Qualifications: 1. Sincere interest in forest ecology and silviculture 2. Strong quantitative skills 3. Experience and ability to conduct field work in remote locations under challenging conditions 4. Valid drivers' licence (Canadian or US licence preferred). 5. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. 6. Demonstrated ability to work independently and to meet deadlines. Stipend: $19,000 (CDN) annually Starting Date: April 1, 2008 (tentatively) Application: Send a letter of enquiry and curriculum vitae to John Caspersen
