[ECOLOG-L] MSc position in forest ecology
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 mark.vander...@uregina.ca. Review of applications will begin on Dec 10 and will continue until the position is filled.
[ECOLOG-L] 2 MSc/PhD positions in forest ecology (Canada)
I seek motivated individuals for 2 graduate projects investigating the influence of moisture availability on forest canopy structure and stand dynamics in Canada’s western interior. Water availability can have a strong bearing on the structure, biomass, and carbon balance of forests in this region. The goal of this research is to better understand how increasing aridity under climate change may affect the long-term persistence of forest cover near the prairie-forest ecotone in western Canada. Project 1: Forest canopy structure across a moisture-limited landscape This project can be undertaken at either the MSc or PhD level. The successful candidate will survey forest canopies using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and use the resulting imagery, together with aerial LiDAR and ground plot data, to quantify forest structure and biomass across a topographic gradient in soil moisture. He or she will then develop allometric models to assess how the size and form of individual trees, as well as the overall biomass and structure of forest stands, vary with water availability. Field work will be conducted in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, located near the southern end of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Project 2: Modelling regional forest dynamics under climate change This project will be at the PhD level. The successful candidate will use data on growth-climate and mortality-climate relationships to construct individual-based models of stand dynamics in western boreal forests. He or she will develop demographic models that capture the effects of environmental conditions and competition on tree vital rates, and use these to predict how forest structure and composition will change under increasing aridity. In addition to local field data, he or she will use networks of forest inventory plots from across western Canada to model variation in regional-scale forest dynamics in a changing climate. Both positions will start in January 2018, 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. Candidates with a background in geography, math, or computer science with interests in ecology are also encouraged to apply. Candidates applying at the PhD level should possess a relevant Masters degree and good evidence of research potential (publications and/or conference presentations). 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 mark.vander...@uregina.ca. Review of applications will begin on Sept 11 and will continue until the position is filled.
[ECOLOG-L] MSc opportunity in forest ecology (Canada)
I seek a motivated individual with interests in forest ecology and airborne remote sensing for an MSc project investigating forest canopy structure across a semi-arid "island" forest landscape in the Canadian prairies. Water availability can have a strong bearing on the structure, biomass, and carbon balance of forests. Relationships between soil moisture and forest structure can help in better understanding how increasing aridity may affect the long-term persistence of forest cover near the prairie-forest ecotone in western Canada, potentially leading to the loss of ecosystem services provided by forests in this region. The successful candidate for this project will survey forest canopies using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and use the resulting imagery, together with aerial LiDAR and ground plot data, to quantify forest structure and biomass across a topographic gradient in soil moisture. He or she will then develop allometric models to assess how the size and form of individual trees, as well as the overall biomass and structure of forest stands, vary with water availability. Field work will be conducted in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, located near the southern end of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. The position will be hosted at the Department of Biology at the University of Regina 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. Candidates with a background in geography, math, or computer science with interests in ecology are also encouraged to apply. Preferred start date is May 2017, but this is flexible. 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 mark.vander...@uregina.ca. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
[ECOLOG-L] MSc opportunity in forest ecology (Canada)
MSc opportunity in forest ecology (Canada): Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to quantify forest canopy structure across a moisture-limited landscape I seek a motivated individual with interests in forest ecology and airborne remote sensing for an MSc project investigating forest canopy structure across a semi-arid “island” forest landscape in the Canadian prairies. Water availability can have a strong bearing on the structure, biomass, and carbon balance of forests. Relationships between soil moisture and forest structure can help in better understanding how increasing aridity may affect the long-term persistence of forest cover near the prairie-forest ecotone in western Canada, potentially leading to the loss of ecosystem services provided by forests in this region. The successful candidate for this project will survey forest canopies using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and use the resulting imagery, together with aerial LiDAR and ground plot data, to quantify forest structure and biomass across a topographic gradient in soil moisture. He or she will then develop allometric models to assess how the size and form of individual trees, as well as the overall biomass and structure of forest stands, vary with water availability. Field work will be conducted in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, located near the southern end of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. The position will be hosted at the Department of Biology at the University of Regina 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. Candidates with a BSc in math or computer science with interests in ecology are also encouraged to apply. Preferred start date is May 2017. 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 mark.vander...@uregina.ca. Review of applications will begin on February 27 and will continue until the position is filled.
[ECOLOG-L] MSc or PhD opportunity: Climate effects on tree growth across a moisture-limited forest landscape
We are seeking a motivated individual with interests in forest dynamics and forest-climate interactions for an MSc or PhD project at the University of Regina investigating tree growth across a semi-arid "island" forest landscape in the Canadian prairies. Tree growth has a strong bearing on the structure, biomass, and carbon balance of forests. Relationships between growth and water availability are critical to understanding how increasing aridity may threaten the long-term persistence of forest cover near the prairie-forest ecotone in western Canada, potentially leading to the loss of ecosystem services provided by forests in this region. The successful candidate will use dendrochronological techniques to reconstruct recent growth history across Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, and use the resulting data to derive predictive relationships between growth and water availability for several tree species. The position will be hosted at the Department of Biology and the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative at the University of Regina, working under the supervision of Dr. Mark Vanderwel (http://vanderwelforestlab.weebly.com) and Dr. Dave Sauchyn (http://www.parc.ca/research_professors_sauchyn.htm). Applicants should have a minimum of a BSc and strong academic record in biology or a related field, with a keen interest in forest ecology and climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems. Experience with field work and good quantitative skills would be major assets. Preferred start date is May 2016. 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 mark.vander...@uregina.ca and david.sauc...@uregina.ca. Review of applications will begin on February 29 and will continue until the position is filled. ======= Mark Vanderwel Assistant Professor Dept. of Biology, University of Regina 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2 Tel: (306) 337-2544; Office: LB 248
[ECOLOG-L] MSc opportunity: Forest landscape ecology, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
M.Sc. opportunity: Tree mortality across a moisture-limited forest landscape I am seeking a motivated individual with interests in forest dynamics and forest-climate interactions for an M.Sc. project at the University of Regina investigating tree mortality in a semi-arid “island” forest landscape in the Canadian prairies. Tree mortality rates have a strong bearing on the structure, biomass, and carbon balance of forests. Potential increases in mortality from drought and insect pests may threaten the long-term persistence of forest cover near the prairie-forest ecotone in western Canada, leading to the loss of ecosystem services provided by forests in this region. The successful candidate will use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system to carry out repeat 3D surveys of forest canopies across the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, and use the resulting data to derive predictive relationships between water availability and survival for several tree species. The position will be hosted at the Department of Biology at the University of Regina, working under the supervision of Dr. Mark Vanderwel (http://www.uregina.ca/science/biology/people/faculty-research/vanderwel-mark/). Applicants should have a B.Sc. and strong academic record in biology or a related field, with a keen interest in forest ecology and climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems. Experience with field work and good quantitative skills would be major assets. Preferred start is May 2015, but Sept 2015 is also a possibility. 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 mark.vander...@uregina.ca. Review of applications will begin on March 1 and will continue until the position is filled.
[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc position in quantitative forest dynamics
The Department of Biology at the University of Regina is seeking applications for a qualified post-doctoral researcher to investigate the dynamics of the pan-tropical forest carbon sink. This research project will use data from a network of long-term forest inventory plots spanning Amazonia and tropical Africa to determine how tree-level vital rates (growth, mortality, and recruitment) vary in response to both climate and local competition. Resulting demographic models will be integrated into a cohort-based model of forest dynamics to predict how the structure, composition, and biomass of tropical forests are expected to evolve under future climate change scenarios. The position offers an exciting opportunity to combine cutting-edge quantitative methods with an extensive data set to predict the broad-scale dynamics of tropical forests and their implications for carbon sequestration across two continents. Candidates must have a PhD in ecology or related field, along with strong quantitative and writing skills. Preference will be given to candidates with (1) a research background in forest ecology; (2) computational proficiency and modelling skills (programming, advanced statistics, management of large data sets); and (3) a proven publication record in peer-reviewed journals. To apply, please send a cover letter outlining your research experience and interests, a CV, and contact information for three references to Dr. Mark Vanderwel (mark.vander...@uregina.ca). Review of applications will begin Nov 24.
