Master's Position: Graduate Department Program in Ecology at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. Advisor: Dr. David J Cooper Project Title: Examining methods for establishing vegetation on a constructed fen in Alberta's oil sands region Start of term: May 2015
Project background Northern Alberta contains the largest deposit of oil sands in the world and conventional open-pit mining used to access portions of the deposit removes large expanses of upland forests and peatland basins. After years of forest and open-water wetland reclamation, industry partners and restoration scientists are now looking towards reconstructing the pre-existing peatlands. The first self-sustaining reclamation fen and associated watershed (the Fen) was constructed on an abandoned extraction area near Fort McMurray, Alberta (Price et al. 2010). A multi-factorial design was planted in 2013 to determine the most effective method to establish mosses and plants. This project is a collaboration between Colorado State University (CSU) and Waterloo University, involving fen ecology, hydrology, and geography. Funding was granted from industry partners and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The overall research goal is to evaluate the constructed fen's design and compare it to regional natural fen systems and develop a globally applicable strategy for similar peatland restoration projects. Fen restoration has been conducted around the world but focuses on restoring pre-existing hydrologic regimes in disturbed sites. Unique challenges of this project include elevated salinity, periodic and permanently flooded ponds, and the establishment of desirable and invasive plants along these gradients. A Master's position is available, under the guidance of Dr. David Cooper at CSU. The candidate will evaluate the planted treatments of vascular species from seed and seedling. Topics of research could include; differences in above and belowground accumulation, fecundity of species introduced as seedlings versus seeds, evaluation of seedling density planting treatments, and/or optimal and threshold water level and salinity measures of planted species. The candidate will work in conjunction with another PhD student at CSU who will be evaluating moss establishment and fen community assembly on the fen. Candidate Profile Highly motivated candidates should have a B.S. in Ecology, Botany, Plant Physiology or Wetland/Peatland Biology and be familiar with restoration concepts, statistical analysis, vegetation monitoring. Canadian citizenship is preferred and able to work and live in Fort Collins, Colorado. How to apply and contact information Please send your CV and a motivation letter to Dr. David J. Cooper, [email protected] Website: http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/~davidc/David_Cooper/Home.html
