Graduate Assistantship and Postdoctoral Associate Positions
I am seeking to fill two positions to work on a project
investigating the role of root characteristics (morphology, growth patterns
and foraging behavior, nutrient uptake abilities) in explaining competitive
success of invasive species in forests. The project will involve root
excavations and root system measurements, experimental studies of root
growth with respect to nutrient (mainly nitrogen) availability, experimental
studies of root growth as a determinant of competitive interactions, and
stable isotope-based measurements of nitrogen uptake capacity. The project
is being done in collaboration with Dr. Jason Grabosky, an expert on root
system morphology and structural characteristics.
A postdoctoral associate is sought who has experience in the
analysis of root system morphology and growth. This person will handle the
field-based root system excavations, morphological analyses, and
implementation of the competition experiments. Experience and/or training in
soil science and/or nutrient dynamics would also be desirable.
A graduate student (Ph. D.) is sought who has a background
and interest in soils and/or nitrogen dynamics and its role as both a factor
mediating competition and a factor mediating root growth and activity
patterns (foraging 'behavior'). The student will apply to and enroll in
the Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution (http://ecoevo.rutgers.edu/ ),
a large and dynamic graduate program based on the New Brunswick (NJ)
campus of Rutgers University.
For more information, please contact Dr. Joan Ehrenfeld,
[email protected] or 732-932-1081. (see
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~ehrenfel/ for some background on the Ehrenfeld
lab).
Joan G. Ehrenfeld
Professor
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, SEBS
14 College Farm Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
tel: 732-932-1081
fax: 732-932-8746
email: [email protected]
web: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~ehrenfel/index.html
