Flathead Lake Biological Station of The University of Montana invites applications for a full-time research technician to assist in a study of water and nutrient cycling through a floodplain forest and underlying shallow aquifer. The field and laboratory research supports development of a floodplain biogeochemical model and contributes to a large, multi-disciplinary effort to assess the ecosystem conditions that support salmon productivity in rivers around the Pacific Rim.
The employment period is approximately March 15, 2009 to October 15, 2009. The technician will spend roughly half his/her time at the field site just south of Glacier National Park, Montana to collect soil and plant tissue samples, maintain instrumentation for soil moisture and sapflow measurement, and sample water and gas emission from observation wells, surface water locations, and lysimeters. Field work will include multi-day sampling campaigns during the snowmelt period and again in the early fall, and periodically throughout the summer. Lab work based at the Biological Station will include sample preparation, carbon bioavailability assays, DNA-based microbial assays, and chemical analyses. The successful applicant will have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a research team. The applicant should be in good physical condition and should have a BS, MS, or equivalent work experience in biology, ecology, or a related field. Compensation is $12/hr. Please send a statement of research interests, CV, and names and contact information for three references to Dr. Meredith Wright via email ([email protected]). Review of applicants will begin immediately.
