Community Ecology Field Technicians Position description:
The Wright lab in the Biology Department at Duke University is seeking short-term summer technicians to conduct field and laboratory research. Technicians will be working on a project linking plant traits with community and ecosystem resilience to changes in prescribed burn regimes. Work will primarily be field-based and will take place at Fort Bragg military base in the Sandhills of NC. Field work will involve measuring plant traits and ecosystem processes along dry upland to wetland gradients in sites with varying burn histories. Applicant requirements: Applicants must be comfortable with working in remote locations. Candidates with a background in ecology, environmental science, forestry, or similar field are desired. Applicants must be able to work well in a team for long hours in strenuous outdoor conditions, especially while being exposed to high temperature, bugs, thorny plants, and other unpleasant field conditions. Individuals who take initiative, and have an excitement for field research and plant identification are strongly encouraged to apply. Responsibilities: Work includes a variety of technical field duties involved in measuring plant traits, biomass collections, soil moisture, and above and below canopy light availability; describing plant community composition; and collecting leaf and soil samples. Applicants will also perform a variety of laboratory duties involved in preparing soil samples for analysis, measuring leaf traits, and weighing dried plant material to measure biomass. It is essential that applicants have an attention to detail for effective field and lab documentation. This position begin May 13, 2013 and ends August 23, 2013. Applicants are expected to provide their own housing while residing in Durham, NC. While in the field, housing is provided Monday through Thursday in Pinehurst, NC. Hourly wages range from $10-13 depending on previous experience and education. Interested candidates should send one PDF file including letter of interest, resume and references to Steve Anderson ([email protected]) by March 29, 2013. Please visit us at http://biology.duke.edu/wrightlab.
