I am looking for a highly motivated M.S. student to participate in a project examining long-term trends in growth and growth efficiency in response to soil disturbance and forest thinning in northern Idaho. The student will be supervised by Dr. Andrew Nelson (University of Idaho). The position will begin January 2016 and is based in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences at the University of Idaho. This project will examine the response of western white pine and Douglas-fir to mechanical and chemical soil and vegetation treatments applied in the early 1980’s in the moist western white pine forest type of northern Idaho. Long-term data will be combined with dendrochronology and destructive measurements to explore height and diameter growth, and growth efficiency (stem growth per unit of leaf area) to the initial treatments and subsequent thinning. The study will be conducted at two sites on the Priest River Experimental Forest in northern Idaho in collaboration with scientists at the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station. The student will be expected to contribute to project implementation, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. At least one degree in Forestry, Forest Ecology, or equivalent field is required. Prior field work and research experience are preferred.
The student will also have the opportunity to assist with other projects on the University of Idaho Experimental Forest, Forest Service Experimental Forests, and private forestlands in the region. If interested, send a copy of your CV, undergraduate transcripts (unofficial is fine for initial application), and contact information for 3 professional references, to Dr. Andrew Nelson ([email protected]).
