Ph.D. studentships in Reptile Ecology at James Cook University
My research group has funding to support the research projects of
several exceptional PhD students examining mechanisms driving reptile
habitat use in northern Australia. Reptiles constitute a significant
proportion of the biodiversity here, and understanding the factors
influencing habitat use is critical to understanding and predicting
anthropogenic effects on biodiversity, such as grazing, weeds, fire,
forestry and climate change, (and interactions among these
processes). A quantitative understanding of the mechanisms describing
faunal responses to various effects on habitat is the basis of sound
management and conservation, and these projects are intended to
significantly improve our understanding of factors driving reptile
habitat selection.
We have been active in studying the mechanisms driving habitat
selection, and shelter-site selection in tropical reptiles for many
years. We are examining overall patterns in responses of reptile
communities to weeds and other sources of habitat change (grazing,
fire), but, importantly, we experimentally delve into the mechanisms
driving these responses in an attempt to understand the causes of
effects. We have experimentally examined the influence of habitat
temperature, vegetation structure, predation, and competition, alone
and in combination, on habitat selection in reptiles.
Our group has collaborative links with other researchers worldwide,
and our students have a range of opportunities available upon
completion. Recent Ph.D. graduates in this field are presently
academic staff or postdocs at Universities around Australia. In
addition, graduates have obtained jobs related to management and
preservation of biodiversity (IUCN, CI).
Projects will focus on these topics:
1. Determining the influence of experimentally controlled, but
realistic levels of grazing pressure on habitat and reptile community
structure, and their interactions.
2. Constructing complex network models of the relationships between
grazing pressure and reptile biodiversity.
3. Determining the habitat requirements and effects of disturbance on
golden-tailed geckos in central Queensland.
Students should be available to start in February 2014 and will be
based at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. We will only
accept students who obtain PhD scholarships, which cover living
expenses (ca. AU$24,600K/year) and tuition. Scholarships are highly
competitive, and are awarded to students with these minimum qualifications:
1. A first class Honours degree, or a Master's degree with a research
component. In exceptional cases they have been awarded to
international students with Bachelor's degrees, research experience,
and high-quality first-authored publications.
2. Very good to excellent grade point average
3. Research experience, in the field or laboratory
4. Strong letters of recommendation
5. A first-authored peer-reviewed publication (this is particularly
important for international students; applicants with publications
are much more likely to obtain scholarships, but if you excel in
other areas this is not a strict requirement)
The scholarship deadline for international applicants is 31 August
2013, and for domestic (Australian) applicants is 31 October 2013.
Please send a CV, one page cover letter detailing your experience and
interests, contact details for 3 references, and unofficial
transcripts to
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] with
"Reptile PhD" in the subject line. We will narrow down the pool of
interested students and work with 2-3 individuals on their
scholarship applications. TO BE CONSIDERD, APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST
BE RECEIVED BY 20 August 2013.
For general questions or enquiries, please contact
<mailto:[email protected]>l<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
Cheers,
Lin Schwarzkopf
<http://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/lin.schwarzkopf>http://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/lin.schwarzkopf
Lin Schwarzkopf
Professor and Personal Chair,
School of Marine and Tropical Biology
James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811 AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 7 4781 5467 Mob: 0417201256 Fax: +61 7 47251570
Email
<file:///C:/Users/DAVIDI~1/AppData/Local/Temp/applewebdata://CF3DE495-C659-404A-BCEB-4EB8E59D80AA/[email protected]>[email protected]
www.jcu.edu.au/mtb
Location: DB28-225
JCU CRICOS Provider Code: 00117J
<http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=fXdzNyIAAAAJ>Google
scholar profile
Lin Schwarzkopf
Professor and Personal Chair,
School of Marine and Tropical Biology
James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811 AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 7 4781 5467 Mob: 0417201256 Fax: +61 7 47251570
Email
<file:///C:/Users/DAVIDI~1/AppData/Local/Temp/applewebdata://CF3DE495-C659-404A-BCEB-4EB8E59D80AA/[email protected]>[email protected]
www.jcu.edu.au/mtb
Location: DB28-225
JCU CRICOS Provider Code: 00117J
<http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=fXdzNyIAAAAJ>Google
scholar profile
