Graduate Student Opportunities in Restoration, Soil Carbon, and Fire Ecology
Two graduate positions available in the Master of Environmental Management Program (MEM) at Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, CO. Both positions are contingent on the candidates acceptance to the MEM program for the 2018-2020 term. Applications to the MEM program are due by March 15, 2018. Please contact Dr. Jennie DeMarco ([email protected]) for more information. Gunnison, Colorado is surrounding by 80% public lands with many opportunities for both summer and winter outdoor activities. Master Student Opportunity in Restoration Ecology and Soil Carbon in Colorado Seeking graduate student to design and implement a research project aimed at assessing the impact of wet meadows restoration on soil carbon in the Gunnison Basin of Colorado. These meadows provide critical habitat for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse, increase the resilience of the ecosystem to climate change, and have the potential to sequester carbon through an increase in plant productivity. This project will be in collaboration with the Upper Gunnison River Watershed Water Conservancy District, The Nature Conservancy, the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, and the Masters of Environmental Management Program (MEM) at Western State Colorado University. The student will work closely with scientists from these agencies throughout the project. Specific responsibilities include collecting, processing, and analyzing soil data to assess the impact of restoration on soil carbon storage as well as synthesizing findings in a report to be submitted for peer-review publication. We seek candidates who are self-directed, motivated, and possess strong skills and experience in field work, project management, and oral and written communication. Funding is available for a graduate fellowship through the MEM program as well as paid employment for summer field work in 2018 and 2019. Hiring of candidate is contingent on the candidates acceptance to the MEM program for the 2018-2020 term. Applications to the MEM program are due by March 15, 2018. The preferred start date for the graduate position is June 1, 2018. Please contact Dr. Jennie DeMarco ([email protected]) for more information. Gunnison, Colorado is surrounding by 80% public lands with many opportunities for both summer and winter outdoor activities. Master Student Opportunity in Larch Recruitment Following Fire in Siberia Seeking a masters level graduate student to investigate the causes of varying post-fire recruitment within larch forests of Eastern Siberia using a combination of field-based measurements. Climate change has increased the frequency, intensity, and severity of fires in many boreal regions. Altered fire regimes can also influence forest regrowth by altering tree recruitment during post-fire succession which can ultimately lead to changes in the tree species composition or loss of forests altogether resulting in a decrease in carbon sequestration potential. This NSF funded project is in collaboration with Dr. Heather Alexander (Mississippi State Univ.), Dr. Rebecca Hewitt (Northern Arizona Univ.), Dr. Jeremy Lichstein (Univ. of Florida), Dr. Michael Loranty (Colgate Univ.), Dr. Michelle Mack (Northern Arizona Univ.), and Dr. Ryan McEwan (Univ. of Datyon). We seek candidates who are self-directed, motivated, and possess strong skills and experience in field work, project management, and oral and written communication. Funding is available for the student for travel to Siberia and for paid employment for summer field work in 2019. Hiring of candidate is contingent on the candidates acceptance to the MEM program for the 2018- 2020 term. Applications to the MEM program are due by March 15, 2018. Please contact Dr. Jennie DeMarco ([email protected]) for more information. Gunnison, Colorado is surrounding by 80% public lands with many opportunities for both summer and winter outdoor activities.
