Graduate assistantships in Soil Microbial Ecology & Biogeochemistry
Two PhD and one MS graduate student assistantships are available in
the Ecology Center and
the Department of Biology at Utah State University, Logan, UT,
beginning summer or fall
2016, as part of a USDA-AFRI project examining how soil microbial
growth efficiencies
(MGE) are influenced by drought in rangeland and agro-ecosystems.
Soil microbial growth
efficiency (aka carbon-use efficiency) is a key variable regulating
greenhouse gas emissions
from soil, as well as rates of carbon and nutrient sequestration and
release. Biogeochemical
models are extremely sensitive to variation in MGE, yet we have a
poor understanding of how
environmental variables influence MGE. This project will utilize
stable isotope techniques to
examine how variation in soil moisture regulates MGE in sagebrush
steppe, irrigated pasture,
and conventional and organic cropland ecosystems.
The ideal applicant will have: background in soil science, microbial
or plant ecology,
biogeochemistry, or a related area; good chemistry and quantitative
skills; excellent written
and oral communication skills; and the ability to work closely with
others and independently
at field sites. Interested individuals should send a CV to John Stark
([email protected]),
Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
