> > > The University of Idaho Department of Forest Ecology and Biogeoscience is > seeking applicants for a PhD position in forest ecosystem process modeling. > The ideal candidate for this position should have a strong interest in > developing our understanding of the atmospheric, hydrologic, geospheric, or > biological patterns and processes that drive ecological variation and the > response of plants to climate change in the Rocky Mountain West. We want to > determine how the processes affected by climatic shifts will scale up in > mountainous ecosystems since the interactions and feedbacks that define > mountainous ecosystems are not fully captured by point observations. > Correspondingly, the complexities in mountainous systems are not captured in > the research done on more simplified flat terrain where we often evaluate our > models. Does climate change merely shift elevational transitions or create > changes that can be absorbed in the natural adaptation and feedbacks within > the system – or will we see catastrophic and irreversible phenomena? Such > questions illustrate the complexity we confront in predicting climate change > impacts in mountains and the need to evaluate estimates from process models > before we can know whether we are getting accurate answers to fundamental > questions for the right reasons. The student with work closely with UI > faculty and U.S Forest Service scientists using newly developed > high-resolution mountain air temperature and humidity data sets to examine > the effects of terrain on climate, and apply that understanding and data to > ecosystem models. There is some flexibility in choosing a research focus, and > a range of new data and applications are available. Strong quantitative > abilities and a background in quantitative computing (or a strong desire to > develop skill in these areas) are required. Interested applicants should > contact Dr. Kathleen Kavanagh at the University of Idaho (ka...@uidaho.edu). > We are looking for someone that could start in Fall 2011 or Spring 2012. > > Kathleen Kavanagh > ka...@uidaho.edu > > > > >
Kathleen Kavanagh ka...@uidaho.edu
