* * *PhD Assistantship - Pollinator Habitat and Community Ecology, Montana State University* There is a PhD student opening in the Burkle Lab in the Department of Ecology at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. The student will participate in a Forest Service-funded project investigating (1) the “pollinator-friendliness” of native plant species utilized for revegetation and restoration projects and (2) plant-pollinator relationships in greater sage-grouse habitat. The first research project will focus on native plant species found in seed mixes on National Forest System lands with primary focus on mixes utilized by the Helena-Lewis&Clark National Forest in western Montana. In particular, the assessment will address pollinator visitors to the flowering plants in different habitat types. The second research project will assess patterns in pollinator diversity and forb-pollinator interactions in greater sage grouse habitat in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in southwestern Montana. Because sage grouse diet is dependent on forbs which require pollinators for reproduction, this information will help conserve and restore habitat for both sage grouse and pollinators. There will be ample opportunity for the student to develop additional research questions within these systems, and we expect the student to develop the framework that conceptually ties this work together. This project is funded for 5 years. We anticipate the student beginning in January 2018. Requirements • Valid driver’s license • Ability to hike across rough terrain • Willingness to camp in the field
Preferred qualifications • Previous experience in pollinator-related field work and bee taxonomic identification.• MS in Ecology Interested applicants, please send a letter of interest and your CV to [email protected] by July 28, 2017.
