Summer Research Internships for Undergraduates and Post-baccalaureates Position Overview: Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve has opportunities for students to work as plant community ecology interns, research field supervisors, and prescribed burn technicians. Many positions run from June through August, but some technicians will be needed as early as March and through October. As a research intern or technician, you will contribute to ongoing field experiments, have the opportunity to initiate individual research, attend scientific seminars, and interact with professors, post-docs, and graduate students. Research Overview: Cedar Creek research interns work on three large scale projects and several smaller scale experiments. BioCON is one of the large scale experiments where we explore the ways in which plant communities respond to environmental changes such as increased nitrogen deposition, increased atmospheric CO2, decreased biodiversity, altered precipitation patterns, and increased temperatures. The Big Biodiversity Experiment is investigating how plant diversity affects the rates, dynamics, and stability of ecological processes at the population, community, and ecosystem levels. Other experiments nested within the Big Biodiversity Experiment are testing effects of drought and warming. The Forests and Biodiversity (FAB) experiment is looking at tree competition under different diversity levels. This experiment includes approximately 40,000 trees within a 30 acre field that will run for over 100 years. Throughout the summer, research interns sample and maintain these experiments.
Independent Research Project Opportunities: As part of the intern summer research experience, all interns have the opportunity to develop and conduct their own independent research project. Cedar Creek provides a comprehensive research training program in which a team of graduate students guide interns through the process of planning and proposing a research project, conducting the research, and presenting research findings. This includes one-on-one mentoring, workshops, and research symposia. To learn more about Cedar Creek research internships, visit www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/about/internships. Research site: Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is an eight square mile tract of land 35 miles north of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, USA. Cedar Creek is endowed with a diverse mosaic of prairies, savannas, sedge meadows, bogs, open water, forests, and even abandoned agricultural fields. Its large size, great natural diversity, and uniform soil substrate make it ideal for ecosystem studies. To learn more about the experiments, researchers, and other opportunities, please visit our website: www.cedarcreek.umn.edu. To apply for any of the above intern positions please visit: z.umn.edu/ccjobs. Deadlines for application submission are February 18th or 25th (depending on the position). For any questions regarding the internships or application please email: ccint...@umn.edu
