PhD position - University of Oulu, Finland.

PhD position in the project “Macroecology and diversity of species interactions” at the University of Oulu, Finland.

Coevolution among species via species interactions is the major driving force of biodiversity. Yet, the concept of and metrics to estimate species interactions is largely missing from biodiversity studies. The project has two major aims. First, our goal is to create a novel community diversity index, which quantitatively grade communities in terms of the sign, strength and variation of interactions. We will then examine how interaction index varies relative to taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity, stability of the communities and the level of disturbance. Second, we aim to estimate a novel species-specific characteristic, which describes species competitive – facilitative interaction abilities. The association of this new metric with species capability to adapt to global changes is then examined. The data to be used in the project is negotiable; comprehensive and long-term bird survey data from Europe and moth data from Finland are available. We will use a state-of-the-art statistical modelling technique, Joint Dynamic Species Distribution Modelling, developed by one of the PIs of the project, Dr. James Thorson, in extracting species associations from the survey data.

The position is for 4 years. The start date of the position is January 2018, with some flexibility. We aim that the chosen candidate will spend 6-12 months at the University of Washington (Seattle, USA) and learn modeling techniques with Dr. Thorson. Funding for the visit will be applied from various sources, such as Fulbright Center. Position involves occasional teaching. The location of the position is at the Research Unit of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oulu, Finland. Salary is based on the University salary system. Starting salary is about 2100-2300€​ and increases with experience. Health care is provided by the employer.

Research Group. Principal Investigators of the project are Dr. Jukka Forsman (University of Oulu, Finland) and Dr. James Thorson (National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Seattle, USA). Other collaborators of the project are Vincent Devictor (University of Montpellier, France), Mikko Mönkkönen (University of Jyväskylä) and Panu Välimäki (University of Oulu, Finland).

Qualification requirements. Applicants must have a Master of Science degree in ecology, evolutionary biology, statistical modeling or related areas. The recruited person is expected to be enterprising and have excellent English communication skills, as well as experience programming in the R statistical environment. Following qualifications and experience is considered as an advantage: managing and analyzing large data sets, species distribution modeling, experience in estimating diversity indexes (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic), statistical modelling, experience in applying GIS-data on biological systems, and global change studies.

Contact persons for further information. Project leaders Jukka Forsman, email: jukka.forsman (at)oulu.fi, tel.: +358 2494 481951 and Dr. James Thorson, email: James.T.Thorson(at)gmail.com

Please send applications through university recruitment system:

https://rekry.saima.fi/certiahome/open_job_view.html?did=5600&jc=1&id=00004414&lang=fi

Doctoral Fellowship - Leipzig University

Leipzig University offers the following position:
Doctoral fellowship

(initially limited to 3 years, 65 percent of a full-time employment)
Salary: Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L
on “Improving Alien species Distribution knowledge by Integrating Data Across Scales (iADIDAS)”
Background:
Biological invasions have become a key driver of global environmental change, but research and management remain hampered by a lack of spatially detailed distribution information. Recent progress in mobilizing heterogeneous distribution data (e.g. point locations, regional checklists, etc.) and new statistical modeling approaches for their integration offer exciting opportunities. However, limitations in available data and the applicability of different modeling tools for alien species remain largely unknown. This project will integrate millions of occurrence records from GBIF (ww.gbif.org) with global alien species inventories (e.g. GloNAF, www.glonaf.org) for several taxonomic groups to address three central challenges in invasion biology: i) to assess various data limitations in alien species occurrence records, ii) to extend and test models for integrating disparate data types to improve fine-scale predictions of alien occurrences, and iii) to analyze how integrating available data changes perceptions of alien species richness patterns and drivers.
Topic/job description:

• -  Programming of workflows for validating, integrating, and analyzing global datasets of alien species distributions
  
• -  Quantitative analyses of limitations in information on alien species distributions, as well as of global alien diversity
  patterns and drivers
  
• -  Testing and further development of cutting-edge statistical modeling tools for integrating disparate information
  across spatial scales
  
• -  Writing and publishing of scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals
  
• -  Presentation of results at international conferences
  
• -  Participation in iDiv’s PhD training program yDiv.
  Requirements / expected profile:
  

Leipzig, April 10, 2017

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Applicants should hold a Master’s or equivalent degree in a related field of research (e.g. biology, geography, environmental sciences, geoinformatics)
The successful candidate should be willing to acquire the necessary technical skills (e.g. programming, database development) for handling and statistically analyzing large datasets; prior experience will be advantageous Prior knowledge of invasion biology or experience in ecological modeling will be advantageous
Candidates should be team-oriented and have strong organizational skills, in order to manage this highly collaborative research project within an international consortium
Excellent English communication skills (speaking and writing) are required
We seek candidates with an independent mind, an interest in cutting-edge macroecological research, and the ambition to publish in internationally leading journals.

We offer
University of Leipzig. The project is supervised by Dr. Carsten Meyer (iDiv’s Macroecology & Society group), and co- supervised by an international consortium: Dr. Marten Winter (iDiv’s Synthesis Centre) & Prof. Tiffany Knight (iDiv’s Spatial Interaction Ecology group), Dr. Franz Essl (Division of Conservation, Vegetation, and Landscape Ecology, University of Vienna), and Prof. Prof. Melodie McGeoch (School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia). Additional opportunities for collaboration exist with scientists within and outside of iDiv.

you a three-year PhD position at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), affiliated with the

Applications are accepted until May 17, 2017.
All applications should include:

• -  Cover letter describing motivation, research interests & relevant experience
  
• -  Detailed curriculum vitae in tabular form
  
• -  One letter of recommendation
  

- Contact information of former professor(s)/ supervisor(s) who know the applicant
- MA/BA/Diploma certificates
- A copy of the Master’s thesis.

Applications are preferred via our application portal under apply.idiv.de. Hard copy applications can be sent to German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Dr. Mari Bieri; Deutscher Platz 5e; 04103 Leipzig. Applicants can apply for up to three positions, with tailored motivation letter for each position. Please mention reference file numbers when applying. Severely disabled persons are encouraged to apply and will be given preference in the case of equal suitability. Selected candidates will be invited to the joint recruitment symposium on June 22-23, 2017. For queries on the application process, please contact ydiv@idiv.de. For project-related details, please contact Dr. Meyer directly (carsten.meyer@idiv.de).

PhD positions - School of Life Sciences (Arizona State University)

The Macrosystems Ecology Lab (PI Benjamin Blonder) will be moving from the University of Oxford to Arizona State University (http://www.asu.edu) in Tempe, Arizona. The lab's focus is on predictive community ecology and biogeography, paleoecological and anthropogenic effects on biodiversity dynamics, and global change plant ecophysiology. We use a combination of field, eco-informatics, and modeling approaches to address these questions with a broad team of international collaborators. Field sites are focused in forests and alpine environments in Latin America, southeast Asia, Scandinavia, and the United States. Learn more about this work at http://benjaminblonder.org/research/.

The lab will be a collaborative working environment within a dynamic university that hosts many other excellent ecology and sustainability research groups. Arizona State University is easily reached by light rail service from the Phoenix international airport. The Phoenix area hosts a vibrant multicultural community, and the region provides excellent recreation and research opportunities, with the Grand Canyon, Colorado Plateau, Madrean Sky Islands, and northern Mexico all close by.

Up to two PhD positions are available within any of the School of Life Sciences (SOLS). More information about the graduate program is available at https://sols.asu.edu/degree-programs/graduate.

Independently-developed theses are encouraged and may be broad-ranging within the scope of the lab's focus areas. However possible dissertation areas include:

(1) Building more predictive models of community dynamics via incorporation of energy budget and trait-based performance concepts into coexistence theory. This work could involve a combination of mathematical modeling and field observation / manipulation in a range of long-term plant census plots throughout the Colorado Rockies, Peru, and Malaysian Borneo.

(2) Assessing the role of species interactions and phenology in modulating plant performance and demography. This project could involve coupling a range of leaf-level plant ecophysiology measurements with leaf lifespan and herbivory observations across environmental gradients, and would be primarily field-based. Sites could encompass a Canada - Mexico latitudinal gradient or a South American elevation / rainfall gradient.

(3) Assessing historical anthropogenic effects on species distributions and ecological disequilibrium. This project would focus on exploring human uses of food/medicine/fiber plants throughout the Americas as a key driver of community and regional diversity patterns. The work would involve synthesizing many historical and ethnobotanical resources with contemporary informatics resources and field surveys. 

(4) Integrating network theory, niche/hypervolume, and control theory concepts into community ecology. This project would develop mathematical approaches to better predict and manage shifts in community composition, or delineate when such predictions would not be possible. The project would also involve field tests in a range of manipulative and observational field contexts. 

Students should be independently motivated and come with strong writing and critical thinking skills. Those with an interest in developing their training in computational statistics, modeling, field methods, and/or foreign languages are especially encouraged.

The lab also has a strong community outreach component via inquiry-based science education partnerships with underserved communities. Students interested in contributing to these efforts are very welcome.

The School of Life Sciences has a vibrant graduate program with a strong graduate student community. Funding for five years is guaranteed via a combination of teaching and research assistantships for both United States and international applicants. There are additional funds available for summer fieldwork and conference travel. The fall priority application deadline is 1 December 2016. Applications can be submitted via the SOLS website. Please get in touch by email (bblonder@gmail.com) if you are interested in applying.

2 PhD positions available: Utah State University (Will Pearse)

The Pearse Lab at Utah State University is recruiting for PhD students to start in the 2017 academic year. We are an inter-disciplinary lab, studying the interactions between community ecology and evolutionary biology using cutting-edge statistical techniques. We are looking for two students: one with experience in ecological and/or evolutionary modelling, and another with experience in plant ecology and fieldwork. These positions are fully-funded, and include money to travel to conferences and working groups. Click here to find out more information and apply.

Will Pearse
Assistant Professor of Biology, Utah State University

PhD Funding, Sax Research Group, Brown University

The Sax Research Group is broadly interested in the field of conservation biogeography. We have funding for a PhD student interested in studying species’ responses to climate change, with a special emphasis in understanding the relationship between species geographical distributions and climate. We will soon begin to pursue the research agenda described in a recent publication in Trends in Ecology and Evolution – Sax et al. 2013 (download PDF here). This work will characterize and map the realized, fundamental and tolerance niches of hundreds of plant species by taking advantage of species’ native, naturalized and horticultural distributions. Other active areas of work in the lab include species invasions and species extinction dynamics. Students interested in this opportunity should contact dov.sax@gmail.com

PhD position - Tropical Ecology and Conservation lab (FIU)

The Tropical Ecology and Conservation lab (http://www2.fiu.edu/~kfeeley/) in the Department of Biological Sciences at FIU(http://biology.fiu.edu/) (Miami Florida USA) is seeking a doctoral student to conduct his/her dissertation research as part of an NSF-funded program on “Understanding range limits and plant migration in response to climate change in neotropical montane forests” (a collaboration between K.J. Feeley of FIU, M. Silman of WFU, P. Meir of U. Edinburgh, and ABERG http://www.andesconservation.org/).

Research will involve field measurements of plant performance under experimental environmental manipulations in the tropical Andean cloudforests of Manu National Park, Peru (http://www.flickr.com/groups/aberg/), and will focus on the integration of field data into demographic and distribution models.  In addition to research, the graduate student will assist in outreach and k-12 environmental education activities in collaboration with the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (http://www.fairchildgarden.org/).

 Preferred candidates will have already completed a Master’s degree in ecology or another related discipline; have previous field research experience; have strong analytical and modeling skills; be fluent in R, English, and Spanish; and be highly motivated and personable.  If interested, please send an email with a CV, a letter describing research interests and experiences, GRE scores (and TOEFL scores if applicable) and contact information for 3 professional references to Ken Feeley (kjfeeley@gmail.com). Minority and international students are very strongly encouraged to apply.

The deadline for receiving letters of interest is November 15th 2013.

PhD position in Biogeography/Macroecology/Spatial Ecology

The Department of Ecologie and Evolution (DEE; www.unil.ch/dee) at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland, is opening a position as

Graduate Assistant (PhD student)
in Biogeography/Macroecology/Spatial Ecology

Starting date       : 01.08.2013 or to be arranged
Contrat duration    : 1 year. Renewable twice for two years, but PhD in 4 years strongly encouraged.
Activity rate       : 80%
Work place          : Lausanne Dorigny, Biophore

Expected profile :
Master in Biogeography/Macroecology/Spatial Ecology or equivalent
Good computer skills, programming ability, GIS, basic knowledge in ecological (macro- and spatial) and biogeographical theory
Willingness to conduct research in spatial ecology, biogeography and eco-informatic modelling and simulations

Description of tasks:
50% of the activity will be dedicated to the PhD thesis on modelling and simulating species and community distributions within the Spatial Ecology group (ECOSPAT, www.unil.ch/ecospat).
30% of the activity will be dedicated to supporting teaching activities (exercises, practicals, tutorials) within DEE.

Application and contact:
Motivation letter, CV, university degrees, pdf of Master thesis, name and coordinates of 3 reference persons
The application is to be submited to Prof. Antoine Guisan, UNIL, DEE, Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
E-mail: antoine.guisan@unil.ch

Application deadline:  4 July 2013  (inquiry still possible after this date)

1 Post-Doctoral and 2 PhD positions in Ecology (University of Bayreuth)

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Rationale: SIGNAL is a joint experimental research activity across eight European countries combining biodiversity experiments, climate change research, and invasion research. Extreme weather events and the presence of invasive species can act as pressures threatening biodiversity, resilience and ecosystem services of semi-natural grasslands and can suddenly drive them beyond thresholds of system integrity. Yet, biodiversity may buffer against change. Potential stabilising mechanisms include species richness, presence of key species such as legumes and within species diversity. These potential buffers can be promoted by conservation management and political decisions.  

1 Experienced ecologist (postdoc, equivalent to assistant professor)

Requirements: Applicants should have a PhD in Ecology or related fields and combine strong expertise in experimental field research, statistical data analysis in R and scientific writing in fluent English with team spirit and personal scientific visions. Interest in disturbance and vegetation ecology, in meta-analysis and biogeographical gradients as well as in ecological services is wanted. Duties in SIGNAL coordination and in the science-policy-conservation interface as well as in university teaching will be negotiated according to personal preference. Place of work is Bayreuth, though the applicant will collaborate with international scientists. The position is full or part-time for three years beginning in January 2013. We encourage women to apply and favour applicants with disabilities and equal qualifications. Our research team is family-friendly, enthusiastic, ambitious, young and international. 

2 PhD-Position in Experimental Ecology

Requirements: Applicants should have a Diploma or Masters degree in Ecology or related fields and combine expertise in experimental field research, statistical data analysis in R and team spirit. The thesis will be a series of manuscripts in international scientific journals. Place of work is Bayreuth, though the applicant will collaborate with international scientists. The PhD-position is part-time for three years beginning in January or July 2013. We encourage women to apply and favour applicants with disabilities and equal qualifications. Our research team is family-friendly, enthusiastic, ambitious, young and international. 

1 PhD-Position in Science-Policy-Conservation-Interface

Requirements: Applicants should have a Diploma or Masters degree in Ecology or related fields and combine expertise / interest in field research, nature conservation, policy briefings, communication with stakeholders and team spirit. The thesis will be a series of manuscripts in international scientific journals. Place of work is Bayreuth, though the applicant will collaborate with international scientists. The PhD-position is part-time for three years beginning in January or July 2013. We encourage women to apply and favour applicants with disabilities and equal qualifications. Our research team is family-friendly, enthusiastic, ambitious, young and international.

Applications: A single pdf-file including letter of motivation, research experience, Curriculum Vitae, publication list and names of three referees should be sent by email to Prof. Dr. Anke Jentsch, Disturbance Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Email: anke.jentsch@uni-bayreuth.de until November 5^th 2012.

Application deadline: November 05^th, 2012

Two postdoc and two PhD positions in plant macroecology and phyloinformatics at Aarhus University

Two postdoc and two PhD positions in plant macroecology and phyloinformatics at Aarhus University

I: One 2-year postdoc and one PhD position in the ERC StG project “Macroecological studies of long-term historical constraints on functional diversity and ecosystem functioning across continents (HISTFUNC)”. The postdoc project concerns long-term historical constraints on global and regional patterns in functional diversity of vascular plants, while the PhD project addresses the same topic specifically for the palms (a key-stone plant group in tropical ecosystems) and also looks into the interplay of palms with mammal functional diversity.

II: One 2-year postdoc and one PhD position in the Danish “NSF” (FNU) project “Paleoclimatic stability and the evolutionary ecosystem ecology of Earth’s forests (STABFOR)”. The postdoc project concerns paleoclimatic stability effects on evolutionary dynamics of forest tree lineages, while the PhD project concerns phylogenetic and functional community structure in forest trees.

Qualifications: All postdoc candidates are expected to provide cutting-edge expertise in advanced statistical analyses of large data sets (including strong skills in R), to have solid ecological background and strong collaborative skills, and to have proven abilities to publish at a high international level. STABFOR postdoc candidates should also have solid experience with phylogenetic analyses. All PhD candidates should have good abilities – for their career stage - in statistical modeling and ecology. Experience in plant ecology or botany would also be an advantage for all four positions.

Supervisors and collaborators: The main supervisor is prof. Jens-Christian Svenning. The projects also involve prof. Brian J. Enquist (University of Arizona), prof. Robert E. Ricklefs (University of Missouri), assistant prof. Brody Sandel (AU), and Head of  Collections and Director of the Herbarium Finn Borchsenius (AU)

Where: Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity Group, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark. The Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity Group is a diverse and vibrant research community with strong international ties. Postdocs and PhD students are encouraged to collaborate within the group, across departments and with other universities. More information about the people and research activities of the group can be found at http://bios.au.dk/en/research/sections/integrative-ecology-and-evolution/ecoinformatics/ecoinformatics-researchprofile/

Starting date: All four positions should ideally start January 1^st 2013.

For further information, please contact: Professor Jens-Christian Svenning, svenning@biology.au.dk

The official announcements are here:

Postdocs: http://scitech.au.dk/en/current-affairs/vacant-positions/

PhD positions: http://talent.au.dk/phd/scienceandtechnology/opencalls/specific-projects/

Aarhus University has 38,000 students, 11,200 staff, and is a world leading university that ranks 51 on the Leiden ranking, 79 on the QS World University ranking, and 86 on ARWU – Shanghai ranking.

Further information for internationals can be found here: http://ias.au.dk/international-academic-staff-ias/

Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - PhD Position

The Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Computational Landscape Ecology (www.ufz.de/cle), invites applications for an:

PhD student in the field of Landscape Ecology (f/m)
- code digit: 29/2012 -

The position will be available as soon as possible and is limited to 3 years.

The project seeks to analyze the effects of landscape complexity on the biocontrol-production functions in rice dominated agro-ecosystems. The position is part of the LEGATO project (www.legato-project.net) that investigates ecosystem functions and services in agricultural systems in South East Asia, with focus on regional land use intensity, biodiversity and potential impacts of future climate and land use change. The candidate is expected to develop statistical and simulation models to analyze interactions between habitat characteristics, agricultural pests and pest-controlling species using a range of field, GIS and remote sensing data. The candidate will closely cooperate with other researchers from the LEGATO project.

Research tasks:
• Investigate the relationship between habitat complexity and diversity of species representative for the predator-prey system in rice field landscapes
• Examine the effects of different land use change scenarios on predator-prey interactions in rice dominated ecosystems using a simulation model
• Analyze the effects of landscape complexity on other ecosystem services and functions Requirements:
• Master or diploma degree in ecology, geography, environmental systems, geoinformatics or a related field
• Experience with statistical analysis (preferably in R), GIS and geocomputation • Very good written and oral communication skills in English
We offer:
• Excellent research opportunities within a highly interdisciplinary and an international team located in Leipzig, Germany
• Funding through the Project LEGATO • Participation in the established Helmholtz Graduate School HIGRADE (www.higrade.ufz.de)
• Salary according to the appropriate civil service level 13 (50%) TVöD.

Further information can be provided by:
Dr. Tomás Václavík email: tomas.vaclavik@ufz.de phone: +49 341-235-1952

Women are explicitly encouraged to apply to increase their share in science and research. Physically handicapped persons will be favoured if they are equally qualified.

Please send your complete application documents including a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, degree certificates and three references (in English) under the appropriate code digit 29/2012 to: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Personnel Department, PF 50 01 36, 04301, Leipzig, Germany, or by email as a single PDF document to: application@ufz.de
Closing date: 15th of April 2012