A PhD graduate research position is available in Dr. Jennifer Balchs Fire Works lab at Penn State University for the fall 2014 semester. This position will be part of a larger collaborative project exploring the climate and land use drivers of invasive-grass fueled fires across the western U.S.
Non-native, invasive grasses are increasing fire activity globally, yet the mechanisms driving the initiation and perpetuation of novel fire regimes remain largely unknown. This project will use remote sensing and spatial analysis to investigate the climate and land-use mechanisms that promote fires in invaded and native ecosystemsfor one of the most prominent cases of a potentially irreversible grass-fire cycle. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), which was introduced to North America in the mid-1800s, now dominates over 40,000 km2 of the intermountain west. This collaborative research project will address the following questions about how climate, land use, and fire interact across invaded and native ecosystems of the intermountain west: i) How do fire regimes and fire probability vary in invaded and native ecosystems? ii) What are the climate and land-use predictors of fire activity in these landscapes? iii) What is the geography of current and future fire risk, under mid-century climate and land-use change scenarios? Research in the lab focuses on the intersection of disturbance dynamics, ecosystem thresholds, and coupled human-natural systems. We examine how global environmental changeincluding shifting fire cyclesalters plant communities and ecosystem function. Our research balances cutting-edge fieldwork with analysis of global ecological data to examine how human changes to fire patterns are encouraging forest-savanna transitions, degrading ecosystems, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Together with an international community of collaborators, we work across disciplines and scalesfrom individual organisms to entire ecosystems. Please see my website: http://www.geog.psu.edu/people/balch-jennifer The graduate student for this position will be enrolled through the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology at Penn State: http://www.huck.psu.edu/education/ecology/ This position will be supported through Research and Teaching Assistantships, which cover tuition and stipends. Applicants should have a Bachelors or Masters degree in ecology, geography, biology, forestry, or other field related to environmental studies. Prior research experience, particularly using remote sensing data or GIS is a plus. See here for how to apply: http://www.huck.psu.edu/education/ecology/admission-requirements APPLICATIONS THAT ARE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 15 WILL BE GIVEN FIRST CONSIDERATION. If you are interested in this position, please contact me immediately for further details. Best wishes, Dr. Jennifer K. Balch Assistant Professor Department of Geography The Pennsylvania State University 302 Walker Building University Park, PA 16802 Email: [email protected] Twitter: Fire Works Lab @DrBalch Website: http://www.geog.psu.edu/people/balch-jennifer
