Ph.D. position avaliable at The Ohio State University Dept. of Entomology
Invasive species permeate both the natural and managed landscapes. These exotic species often have profound negative impacts on native biodiversity by influencing abiotic conditions, or increasing competition for food or other resources. Increasingly, invaders also interact with one another in ways that exacerbate their impacts on ecological communities and environments. The success of an invasive species depends not only on the biology of the invader itself, but the ecological community and environment that is being invaded. Often these lead to invasion meltdowns, where the introduction of one species facilitates the invasion of additional species. The soybean aphid plays a key role in a recent ecological invasion meltdown involving its invasive primary host plant, buckthorn, and its key predator, the multi-colored Asian lady beetle. This USDA-funded position will specifically focus on soybean aphid population and landscape genetics, with emphasis on the role of buckthorn during secondary and primary host colonization. The project will combine field work (including soybean aphid collecting at various sites across the Midwestern US), as well as molecular data generation (microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms). Ph.D. students are preferred, but Master's students are strongly urged to apply. The ideal start time would be summer of 2010, but start date is flexible. For more information, please contact Dr. Andy Michel ([email protected]).
