I seek a motivated individual for an MSc project investigating the influence of moisture availability on forest canopies and tree growth in Canada’s western interior. Water availability can have a strong bearing on forest structure, dynamics, and carbon balance in this region. The successful candidate will obtain multispectral and thermal imagery of forest canopies using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and combine this with daily weather and soil moisture data to investigate how tree growth responds to short- and long-term variation in moisture. Field work will be conducted in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, located near the southern end of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. The goal of this research is to better understand how increasing aridity under climate change may affect ecosystem carbon balance and the persistence of forest cover near the prairie-forest ecotone in western Canada.
The position will start in either May or Sept 2019 (depending on the successful candidate’s availability) and will be hosted at the Department of Biology at the University of Regina (Saskatchewan, Canada) working under the supervision of Dr. Mark Vanderwel (http://vanderwelforestlab.weebly.com). Applicants should have a BSc, a strong academic record in biology or a related field, and good quantitative skills. To apply, please send a cover letter describing research interests, a CV, unofficial academic transcripts, and contact information for 2 references by e-mail to [email protected]. Review of applications will begin on Dec 10 and will continue until the position is filled.
