8:55 p.m.
FI
Objet : PhD position in forest carbon
PhD opportunity in Forest Ecology at UNBC
Project: Long term effects of forest management on the carbon stocks and
flux of British Columbia's forests.
Applications are invited for a funded 4-year PhD position in UNBC's
Conservation Solutions Lab collaborating with the BC Ministry of Forests,
Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development (FLNRORD).
The project
Forests play an important role in mitigating climate change, absorbing
almost a third of anthropogenic carbon emissions. Current forest management
practices risk disrupting these carbon stores and potentially converting
forests from carbon sinks to sources of carbon emissions. However, empirical
studies of alternate forest management on forest carbon stocks are sparse
and often short-term.
In the early 1990s the British Columbia government established 21 large
scale experiments across the province to investigate lower impact forest
management practices. Now, 25 yearslater, these large scale experiments
provide a unique opportunity to quantify the long-term effects of varying
harvesting practices on the carbon stocks and flux of forests, and compare
them to the conservation of old growth forests. This work will contribute to
the basic scientific knowledge of forest carbon in harvested forests
compared to intact old growth forest, and be highly relevant to decision
makers interested in climate change mitigation.
The student will conduct field work at selected experiments in BC to measure
forest dynamics and various forest carbon pools. The student will lead the
field campaigns, requiring strong organization skills and the ability to
work in difficult terrain. The student will also have access to existing
pre-harvest and post-harvest datasets to estimate carbon stocks over time,
and collaborate closely with a postdoctoral fellow and research assistant.
The student should have:
* Completion or expected completion of a MSc degree in ecology,
forestry, biology, or related subject.
* Strong analytical skills.
* Field work experience.
* Demonstration of the ability to work in difficult conditions or
terrain.
* Driver's license.
* Excellent written, verbal, and digital communication skills.
* Ability to work independently.
The process:
The successful applicant will be working with Dr. Oscar Venter (University
of Northern British Columbia), Dr. Caren Dymond (University of Calgary; B.C.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural
Development), and Dr. Michelle Venter (UNBC). Four years of funding are
guaranteed to cover stipend and field expenses for this position.
Interested students should contact Oscar Venter (oscar dot venter at unbc
dot ca) or Caren Dymond (Caren dot Dymond at gov.bc.ca) for further
information on this research opportunity and position. Applicants for this
position are asked to send a letter of interest, detailed CV, transcripts,
and names of 3 references to Oscar Venter by September 1st, 2019. The
preferred start date for this position will be January 2020.
PhD, Forest Carbon and Climate Change
Government of BC
Caren.Dymond@gov.bc.ca<mailto:Caren.Dymond@gov.bc.ca>
778-974-5655 (Victoria area code)
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/n
atural-resources-climate-change
https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=DeQbUS4AAAAJ&hl=en
########################################################################
To unsubscribe from the IALENA-L list, click the following link:
http://listserv.uri.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=IALENA-L&A=1