Graduate Student Position for Research on Effects of the 2011 Flood on Forest Songbirds along the Missouri River
We are looking for a graduate student (M.S. or Ph.D.) and a summer field assistant for a project examining the effects of the 2011 flood on forest songbird populations and community composition within floodplain forests along the Missouri River. The project will examine songbird responses to flood-induced changes in vegetation structure by comparing pre- (2009-2010) and post-flood data on songbird species composition and abundance across a range of riparian forest stand ages. A companion project (also with a graduate student) will quantify post-flood changes in forest vegetation. Field work will commence in May 2012 and will consist of point counts across 75 forested and early successional stands along the Missouri River within the Missouri National Recreational River in South Dakota and Nebraska. Funding is available for the first summer of the work (summer 2012), including funding for a stipend, a field assistant, travel and supplies. Research funding for subsequent summers is likely, but has not been secured yet. A combination of TA and RA support and a partial tuition waiver will be provided during the academic year. The ideal candidate will be skilled in identifying Midwestern forest birds by sight and song, have experience conducting point count surveys, possess solid analytical and writing skills, and have at least some experience with using Geographic Information Systems (ArcGIS). Experience using program DISTANCE and statistical software would also be helpful. The student may also be called upon to assist with a parallel study on flood effects on vegetation structure. Field work will require work for extended periods of time under sometimes arduous field conditions. The student will enroll in the graduate program of the Department of Biology at the University of South Dakota, in Vermillion, SD (http://www.usd.edu/arts-and-sciences/biology/index.cfm), and be co-advised by Mark Dixon (http://www.usd.edu/arts-and-sciences/biology/mark-dixon.cfm) and David Swanson (http://www.usd.edu/arts-and-sciences/biology/david-swanson.cfm). Student must be able to begin field work by May of 2012, and enroll in the university for the Fall 2012 semester. Interested students should contact Mark Dixon ([email protected]), David Swanson ([email protected]), or Chris Merkord ([email protected]) for more information. The deadline for application to the graduate program in Biology at the University of South Dakota (http://www.usd.edu/arts-and-sciences/biology/graduate.cfm) is February 15. Applicants for the graduate student position will need to provide recent GRE scores and should have an undergraduate GPA over 3.0 for admission to the program, as well as other materials described on the link. Mark D. Dixon Assistant Professor Department of Biology University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD 57069 Phone: (605) 677-6567 Fax: (605) 677-6557 Email: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
