We have an immediate opening for a PhD or MS student at Brigham Young University (BYU) with Dr. Matthew Madsen in the department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences. The student’s research will seek to improve seeding success after large-scale catastrophic wildfires in Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities of the Great Basin. Research will focus on: 1) using historic seedbed microclimate data sets to identify periods (windows) of the year that are typically more favorable for plant establishment and 2) developing novel seed enhancement technologies that allow native plant materials to germinate within the desired windows. Seed germination modeling will be used to assist in engineering and evaluating enhancement technologies. Treatments that are shown to provide the desired germination events will be evaluated under replicated field trials throughout the Great Basin. The proposed research has the potential to dramatically improve the effectiveness of seeding treatments that are intended to protect or restore the diversity and productivity of sagebrush ecosystems. Graduate student benefits include competitive RA and TA stipends and support for fieldwork. Additional information about a degree in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation at BYU can be found at http://graduatestudies.byu.edu/content/plant-and-wildlife-sciences- courses
Qualifications We are seeking an individual with a background in the natural sciences or engineering, with interest in restoration ecology. The successful candidate should be self-motivated and have the capacity to work effectively in a team environment and across multiple disciplines. Minimum requirements can be found at http://graduatestudies.byu.edu. Interested individuals should send a letter of interest and CV (include GRE scores, GPA, and 2 professional references) to [email protected].
