As part of a major new funded project, I am seeking at least two new PhD students to do research in savanna ecosystems. The projects will focus on vegetation-mediated carbon cycle processes and how they respond to anthropogenically-modified drivers like fire and herbivory. The research will encompass a range of spatiotemporal scales from short-term, organ-level processes, to long-term, global-scale processes. I co-direct the Stable Isotopes for Biosphere Research Laboratory (http://sibs.tamu.edu) and part of the work will use isotope ratios to study underlying processes. This includes individual compounds in plants and soils, the isotopic composition of gas fluxes, and other components of these fascinating ecosystems. Depending on the specific project, other ecophysiological or biogeochemical approaches will be used. Funding is secured initially for three years and is expected to continue into the foreseeable future since it's based on a permanent endowment. PhD fellowships guarantee funding for four years. This is an exciting opportunity to join a new and growing multi-disciplinary effort. Students may enroll in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management program (http://essm.tamu.edu) or the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology interdisciplinary program (http://eeb.tamu.edu) at Texas A&M University. If this seems like something you might be interested in, please send your CV and a brief description of why you think this could be a good fit for you to Dr. Jason West at: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. Questions are also welcome by email.
