Open position for one ecology PhD student in one of two possible projects (A) PARASTOID METACOMMUNITY ECOLOGY or (B) PARASITOID BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY. Apply for one or the other.
A) PARASTOID METACOMMUNITY ECOLOGY- This is work based on the metacommunity of insects associated with the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) in the Åland islands, Finland. Your research will address patterns of metacommunity structure and mechanisms behind them, such as (1) the prediction that food-chain length decreases with habitat fragmentation because the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation increase with trophic level, and (2) the landscape level effects of indirect interactions between butterflies mediate by parasitoids. The applicant must have a strong interest in community ecology and a Masters Degree or equivalent. For information about the research system see: http://www.helsinki.fi/science/metapop/metacom/research/metacom_structure.htm B) PARASITOID BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY- There is a history of conceptually linking behaviour of parasitoids with resulting predator-prey population dynamics. So far biologists know about what parasitoids do over short time-scales foraging in small areas, but this is only part of the picture. The student would work on an ongoing project using the parasitoids of the Glanville fritillary (Melitaea cinxia) in Åland, Finland to understand ecologically relevant parasitoid foraging behaviour. This includes study of spatial learning, competition among adult female parasitoids, and measures of foraging success in a natural landscape. The applicant must have a strong interest in and experience with behavioural ecology, and a Masters Degree or equivalent. For information about the research system see: http://www.helsinki.fi/science/metapop/metacom/research/parasitoid_foraging.htm The successful applicant will be a PhD student in the metacommunity ecology group, a subgroup of the Metapopulation Research Group, at the University of Helsinki (http://www.helsinki.fi/science/metapop/). We are a Centre of Excellence supported by the Academy of Finland. We have an international research environment with opportunities for mixing among ecologists, molecular biologists and mathematicians. The position is for completion of a PhD within four years, and includes a salary of about 2,300 /month plus social benefits. Please send your application and any enquiries to Saskya van Nouhuys ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). Include a short CV, a one page explanation of your motivation and suitability for the project (be clear about which project), and the e-mail addresses of three researchers who can document that you are self-motivated and can do productive independent work. Consideration of applications will begin mid November 2008 and continue until the position is filled. The position could start as soon as January 2009.
