Postdoc position in ecology of invasive species in the arid SW We have three years of funding for a postdoc to work on a collaborative project between Iowa State University and Rutgers University Newark. The research is centered on the study of the spread of invasive species into intershrub areas of the Mojave and Sonora Deserts, examining the role they might play in enhancing fire risk. Our aims are (a) to gain an understanding of the landscape-scale population dynamics of fire promoting and fire retarding plant species; (b) to test the novel hypothesis that once fire becomes important, naturally formed islands of fertility will break down and a negative feedback will enhance fire even further; (c) to apply the results through the development of spatially explicit simulation models, which will be used in exploring management practices designed to help restore the original environmental pattern of islands of fertility in a low-nutrient matrix and therefore prevent future wildfires; and (d) to understand the effects of non-native plant species on fire regimes and their interdependence with future climate scenarios as predicted by current General Circulation Models.
For more information see: http://newarkbioweb.rutgers.edu/Holzapfel Lab/Main Pages/Research/SERDP/SERDP Poster.htm The postdoc will be working at Rutgers Newark and will head the field experimental effort at two desert sites (Arizona and California) both on US military installations. Due to access limitations the potential postdoc MUST HAVE US CITIZENSHIP. Experience in experimental plant ecology under field conditions is required. A background in desert ecology and population ecology is a plus. The successful candidate will be part of team working in a remote desert setting. Anticipated start date is August or September 2010. For further information contact Dr. Claus Holzapfel ([email protected]). Qualified applicants should send, via e-mail, a curriculum vitae and a statement of research interests and names and contact of three references.
