Hi. Below is an advert for two new PhD positions in our research group. I would be most pleased if you could forward them onto anyone who you think might be intetrested. Thanks. David ________________________ TWO PhD STUDENTSHIPS IN PLANT, SOIL AND ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY
Two new Ph.D. studentship positions are available with the Department of Forest Ecology and Management at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, at Umeå, Sweden. Both are fully financed (including salary and benefits) for a period of four years. The start date for both positions is September 1 2010, although there is some flexibility around this. These positions are: 1. Ref. nr 12/10. The ecological significance of within-species leaf trait variability: a test using an island area gradient (Supervisors: Prof. David Wardle, Prof. Marie-Charlotte Nilsson and Dr. Michael Gundale). Plant leaf characteristics or traits are important determinants of ecological processes, and while much work has focused on the ecological importance of trait differences among species, little is known about the importance of trait variability within species. This project will use a well characterized system of 30 contrasting forested lake islands in the boreal region of N Sweden to study the significance of within-species leaf trait variability relative to that across species, through a mixture of empirical and experimental field-based approaches. As such, this work will enhance our understanding about whether within-species trait variability can contribute to explaining ecological processes in a manner that cannot be achieved by focusing on only across-species trait variation. This project would be ideal for students who have a primary interest in plant or boreal forest ecology. 2. Ref. nr 13/10. The influence of wildfire-derived charcoal on ecosystem carbon storage and fluxes (Supervisors: Prof. David Wardle, Prof. Marie- Charlotte Nilsson and Dr. Michael Gundale). Charcoal produced during wildfire can persist in the soil for thousands of years. As such there is much recent interest in the contribution of charcoal (‘biochar’) to long term carbon storage in soil, and its potential to offset human-induced increases in atmospheric CO2 levels. However, our most recent data suggests that charcoal can cause large losses of soil carbon, bringing into question its supposed benefits. This project will consist of both laboratory and field-based experiments to determine whether and how charcoal addition to boreal forest ecosystems affects ecosystem carbon loss (through breakdown of soil carbon) and carbon gain (through plant productivity), and will therefore provide new information about how charcoal affects biological processes that influence ecosystem carbon balance. This project would be ideal for students with an interest in working at the interface of forest ecology, ecosystem science and climate change. Requirements for both positions include a M.Sc. (or comparable degree) in Ecology or a related discipline, with an emphasis on plants and/or soils. Having a degree (minimum 180 ECTS) with similar emphasis is also acceptable. Applications from both Sweden and elsewhere in the world are welcome. SLU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Enquiries and further information about these positions and projects can be made to Prof. David Wardle (david.war...@svek.slu.se). Please send applications, marked with Reference Number, together with a letter motivating your interest, your CV, and the contact information for two referees whom we can approach, to the Registrar, SLU, P.O. Box 7070, SE- 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. If you are applying for both positions, you must send in two separate applications (one for each position). Applications should arrive at the latest on 31 March 2010.
