General Description: We are seeking 2 highly motivated students to participate in a project studying Baker cypress, a rare conifer species found only in northern California and southern Oregon. This species depends on fire for seed dispersal and germination. As a result of fire suppression, some populations of Baker cypress are now dying without any regeneration. Our project will focus on restoring Baker cypress populations by: 1) Examining how prescribed burning and thinning treatments affect cypress regeneration; 2) Identifying factors that influence recruitment of cypress, such as fire return interval, stand age, fire severity, fuel loads, and site conditions; and 3) Developing recommendations for cypress management and providing a risk assessment of cypress populations across the Klamath, Plumas, and Lassen National Forests, and the Alturas Resource Area of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Duties: Field assistants will work under the direction of a crew leader to collect a broad range of data, including tree demography data (identifying trees, saplings, and seedlings, coring trees, measuring tree diameter and height, tagging trees, etc.), fuels data using Browns transects, vegetation data including shrub and herbaceous plant species identification, and post- fire severity data at sites that have burned. Field assistants will also collect cypress cones and branches in the field. This position involves 70- 80% field work, but will also include some laboratory and office duties such as counting seeds, aging cores and cones, testing seeds for viability, and data entry. There could be an opportunity for interested applicants to pursue other questions related to Baker cypress as part of their undergraduate/graduate work. Working conditions: The position will be based out of Happy Camp, CA. However, the field crew will travel frequently to remote study sites in isolated, rugged areas of the Klamath, Plumas, and Lassen National Forests, and the Alturas Resource Area of the BLM. This is a physically demanding job, involving hiking and camping in steep, hot, rugged terrain for up to 8- 10 days. Preference will be given to energetic, detail-oriented candidates with experience in botanical and forest demography data collection. Applicants must be able to work well independently and with others. GPS/GIS experience is also. Valid driver’s license required. Salary: We will fill two full-time, temporary biological science technician positions at either the GS-5 ($13.58/hr) or GS-4 ($12.23/hr) level through the Student Educational Employment Program. This program provides Federal employment opportunities to students who are currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment (taking at least a half-time course load) in a 2 or 4 year college or university, graduate or professional school. ONLY STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS POSITION. Work will begin in late May and continue through at least mid-August, 2008. Application Procedures: For inquiries related to this position, please contact Kyle Merriam at (530) 283-7777 or Erin Rentz at (530) 627- 3312. To apply, please send: 1) cover letter, 2) CV including professional experience, 3) name, telephone number, and address of three former supervisors or other professional references, and 4) copies of academic transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable) to Kyle Merriam, P.O. Box 11500, Quincy, CA 95971, or via email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Applications must be received by March 21, 2008.
