*Ph.D.-positions in Biodiversity Research (20. May 2013)**
*
# Dear colleagues, currently, the following Phd-positions are available.
Selection of applicants starts 20. May 2013 #
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) fund a
large-scale grassland project "The Jena
Experiment"
(<http://www.the-jena-experiment.de>www.the-jena-experiment.de)
on the relationship between Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Functioning (Grant FOR 1451). On a 10ha
field site in Jena, more than 470 grassland plots
have been established where plant diversity is
manipulated to measure the effect of diversity on
multi-trophic interactions and nutrient cycling.
Please check the website of the Jena Experiment
(<http://www.the-jena-experiment.de>www.the-jena-experiment.de)
for the following job announcements:
*Ph.D.-positions in Functional Biodiversity
Research (TVL E13 65% or equivalent in Switzerland)*
*in a number of subject areas***
The project is an international collaborative
research effort of 11 universities and research
institutes in Germany, three universities in
Switzerland, two in The Netherlands as well as
universities and research institutes in Austria,
France and Canada. All Ph.D.-students will
benefit from an already existing experimental set
up and the interaction with other PhDs and
researchers in an international research team.
The ability to speak and write German will be
appreciated but is not indispensable for
candidates fluent in English. Ph.D.-students will
be based at the university advertising the
position but all field work will be conducted in
Jena, Germany. A full description of the project
and more details about the positions can be found under:
<http://www.the-jena-experiment.de>www.the-jena-experiment.de
Selection of applicants starts *20. May 2013* and
continues until positions are filled.
Applications (motivation letter, CV including
publication list if applicable, addresses of 2
references and/or reference letters), preferably
by email as /single /PDF attachment with the
subject "PhD in the Jena Experiment", should be
submitted to the contact person given on the webpage.
**
*
**2 PhD positions in Plant Population Ecology in
Halle/Saale (Germany) and Bern (Switzerland)***
*1 PhD positions in Soil Ecology (Goettingen)*
*1 PhD position in Community Ecology (Oldenburg)*
*1 PhD-position in vegetation science and digital image analysis (Leipzig)*
*2 PhD-positions in Plant Root Ecology (Leipzig, Wageningen)*
*1 Phd-position in Biodiversity-N cycle relationship (Bern)*
**
**
*2 PhD positions in Plant Population Ecology in
Halle/Saale (Germany) and Bern (Switzerland)*
The Department of Community Ecology at the
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in
Halle and the Plant Ecology Division of the
University of Bern offer two PhD positions to
work on the project "Diversity effects on plant
life-cycle characteristics and population
structure as a base for understanding community assembly and stability".
The project addresses the effects of community
diversity and composition on population dynamics
of the 60 experimental grassland species of the
Jena Experiment. Both PhD students will closely
collaborate in characterising the vital rates of
populations in the experimental plots
(density-size distributions, seed set and
quality, small-scale spatial dynamics), but each
PhD project has a special additional focus.
The task of one PhD student (located in Halle) is
the quantification of characteristics related to
the persistence of plant populations (plant age
determination with anatomical and morphological
methods, seed bank and seed survival). The
special task of the second PhD student (located
in Bern) will be additional common garden
experiments focusing on diversity-mediated
genetic differentiation of plant populations. A
sound background in population biology and in
community ecology, as well as field-botanical
species knowledge are required to perform the project.
The successful candidates should be highly
motivated for research in experimental field
ecology and statistical data analyses. Please
indicate your preference for the position in
Halle or the one in Bern and your earliest
possible starting date. Applications will be
reviewed from 15 May until the positions are
filled. Foreseen project start is 1 July 2013.
Applications for both positions should be send as
one pdf file per email to
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected],
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
and christiane.roscher @ufz.de; please mention
code 34/2013 in the subject line.
**
**
*1 PhD positions in Soil Ecology (Goettingen):*
The Animal Ecology Group of the Georg August
University Göttingen offers one PhD positions to
work on the project "Interactions between plant
diversity and soil invertebrates". The project
explores the role of soil invertebrates for
ecosystem functioning in grassland systems of
different diversity. The PhD student (located in
Göttingen) will investigate the long-term effects
of plant diversity on soil organisms as well as
the relevance of the bacterial and fungal
decomposition channels in structuring soil food
webs via fatty acid analyses. ^13 C pulse
labeling and the analysis of root exudates in a
complementary greenhouse experiment target at
studying C flow in soil food webs and plant
traits mediating underlying effects.
The applicants should be trained in animal
ecology and experimental ecology. Knowledge on
soil ecology and soil invertebrates is
advantageous. For more information on the working
groups visit
<http://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/107728.html>http://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/107728.html
(Göttingen) and
<http://www.ecology.uni-jena.de/en/Multitrophic_Interactions_Info.html>http://www.ecology.uni-jena.de/en/Multitrophic_Interactions_Info.html
(Jena).
Contact: Prof. Dr. Stefan Scheu, GAU Göttingen,
JFB Institute of Zoology and Anthropology,
Berliner Str. 28, 37073 Göttingen. Email
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]; Prof. Dr.
Nico Eisenhauer, FSU Jena, Institute of Ecology,
Dornburger Str. 159, 07743 Jena, Email
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
**
*1 PhD position in Community Ecology (Oldenburg)*
At the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment
(ICBM) at the Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg, a PhD Student
will work on the chemical composition of plants along the diversity
gradient and the ecological stoichiometry of interactions between
herbivores, pollinators and plants. The PhD student is expected to
sample, measure and analyse plant and insect chemical composition and
lead the scientific dissemination of the results. The collaborative
project requires active participation in the establishment, conduction
and sampling of the main experiment as well as in the common scientific
activities, which requires recurring stays in Jena. We are searching for
highly motivated candidates having an excellent diploma or master degree
in biology, ecology, or environmental science. We expect a strong
interest in general ecological questions and great enthusiasm for
scientific work.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Helmut Hillebrand, Carl-von-Ossietzky University
Oldenburg, ICBM, Schleusenstrasse 1, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, Email
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
**
*1 PhD-position in vegetation science and digital image analysis (Leipzig)*
A PhD based at the department of Botany and Functional Biodiversity
Research of the Institute of Biology at the University of Leipzig will
focus on elucidating the role of phenological and architectural
diversity and identity of plant species for ecosystem functioning in
grasslands. The project will use a combination of fine-scale canopy
inventories and digital photography (time-lapse and close range) to
acquire high temporal and spatial resolution datasets in the trait-based
experiment (TBE).The selected candidate should have an excellent
Master's degree (or an equivalent) in a relevant field such as botany,
ecology, biogeochemistry, geosciences or computer sciences. Experience
in one or several of the fields of vegetation analysis, statistics, and
image analysis is necessary. Good programming skills are indispensable.
Good use of spoken and written English, ambition to publish in
international journals as well as creativity, enthusiasm and endurance
is expected. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with
the groups of Prof. Nina Buchmann from ETH Zurich and Prof. Raphael
Proulx form UQTR Troix-Rivieres, Canada. Geographical mobility is
necessary and a driving license will be a plus.
Contact: Prof. Christian Wirth, Universität Leipzig, Institut für
Biologie, AG Spezielle Botanik und Funktionelle Biodiversität,
Johannisallee 21-23, 04103 Leipzig. E-mail:
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
**
*2 PhD-positions in Plant Root Ecology (Leipzig & Wageningen)**
*
Two PhD-positions in The Jena Experiment will work together on
belowground root turnover and root traits. One position will be at the
University of Leipzig (Dr. A. Weigelt) and one position at the
University of Wageningen (Dr. L. Mommer). The research focuses on
understanding root biomass dynamics, disentangling the pathways of root
turnover -- production, mortality and decomposition -- along a plant
species richness gradient. In contrast to aboveground biomass, standing
root biomass is not a measure of annual productivity. Rather, it is
determined by the balance between annual productivity and turnover, but
data on these processes are both scarce and controversial. Still, both
are key processes to understand root biomass dynamics and ultimately,
ecosystem services such as nutrient availability and carbon
sequestration. We are looking for PhD candidates with a strong
background in plant ecology. Good expertise in statistics, image
analysis and/or (molecular) lab skills are a prerequisite. He/she should
be an excellent communicator, both orally and written.
Contact: Dr. Alexandra Weigelt, Institute of Biology, University of
Leipzig, Johannisallee 21-23, 04103 Leipzig, Email:
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>; Dr. Liesje Mommer, Nature
Conservation and Plant Ecology, Wageningen University,
Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6700 AA Wageningen, Email:
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>.
**
**
*1 Phd-position in Biodiversity-N cycle relationship (Bern)**
Up to now a number of relationships between plant community composition
and selected processes of the nitrogen cycle have been studied in
biodiversity experiments. We are now aiming at the comprehensive
determination of the relationship between the plant community
composition on the 82 plots of the main experiment in Jena and all
relevant N pools and gross and net transformations by conducting 15N
labeling experiments in the laboratory with soil from Jena and
subsequent modeling of N pools and fluxes using an established model. We
are therefore seeking a candidate with a background in soil science,
(isotope) biogeochemistry, ecology or earth sciences who is interested
in conducting advanced stable isotope labeling experiments and measuring
stable isotope ratios in our new isotope ratio mass spectrometry lab in
the Geographic Institute of the University of Berne, Switzerland.
Please address your application electronically to Prof. Dr. Wolfgang
Wilcke,
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
