Funded PhD in Caribou/Wolf Studies at the University of Calgary

I am posting this on behalf of Dr. Marco Musiani. His contact information can be found at:
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~mmusiani/
On a personal note, I think this is a great opportunity to study in one of the most beautiful settings in Canada.

TOPIC: PhD Assistantship available to study the conservation biology of mountain caribou and wolf-caribou dynamics in west-central Alberta and east-central British Columbia.

DUTY: The candidate will satellite-collar and monitor approximately 50 wolves and 50 caribou. The candidate will also collect primary prey population data through aerial and ground surveys, assemble remotely sensed habitat data, and work closely with provincial, federal, industry and academic stakeholders to contribute to caribou population recovery in a region experiencing rapid industrial development.

$$: PhD Assistantship and project funding is provided by the University of Calgary, University of Montana, and a consortium of industry partners including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Weyerhaeuser Ltd., Parks Canada, and Shell Canada. PhD stipend provided at ~24,000/year + benefits.

TO APPLY: Send 1-page cover letter summarizing interest and relevant experience, resume/CV, unofficial transcripts, and contact information (including phone and email) for 3 references to Dr. Marco Musiani. Material should be included in one email with subject: PHD IN CARIBOU/WOLF

BACKGROUND: Mountain caribou are classified as threatened by the committee for the status of endangered wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and the species at risk act (SARA). Key factors leading to species endangerment include human-induced changes in predator-prey dynamics through forestry and oil and gas exploration.

SCOPE AND STUDY AREA: The successful candidate will be part of an integrated research project examining anthropogenic changes to predator-prey dynamics over the entire range of mountain caribou in Alberta and adjacent areas of British Columbia from Banff National Park to Kakwa Provincial Park, B.C.

QUALIFICATIONS: An M.Sc.; a B.Sc. in wildlife biology, ecology, conservation biology, or related field; outstanding work ethic; exceptional quantitative skills; and interpersonal skills. Other assets might be field experience with predators and/or ungulates, experience with GIS analyses, remote sensing, GPS and VHF collar data, and scientific writing.

APPLICATION PROCESS: PhD Position will start Fall 2007 with field work commencing as soon as May 2007. Candidates will be contacted by Dec 31th , 2006, and directed to apply for admission to the UofC graduate school.

To learn more:
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~mmusiani/
http://www.rr.ualberta.ca/research/caribou/

The first articles in IOP's (Institute of Physics') new open-access journal, Environmental Research Letters (ERL) (http://erl.iop.org), have been published. Professor Daniel M. Kammen, the Editor-in-Chief of ERL said, "As a free to read journal, ERL’s prime purpose is to serve the entire environmental science community. I am delighted by the quality of these first contributions and eagerly anticipate the continued growth of this exciting new journal."

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· Shifts in plant dominance control carbon-cycle responses to experimental warming and widespread drought by J Harte, S Saleska and T Shih
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· Risks of the oil transition by A E Farrell and A R Brandt
· Can there be science-based precaution? by Charles Weiss
· The Bodélé depression — a single spot in the Sahara that provides most of the mineral dust to the Amazon forest by I Koren, Y J Kaufman, R Washington, M Todd, Y Rudich, V J Martins and D Rosenfeld

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