[ES_JOBS_NET] Graduate assistantships: Impacts of climate change on boreal forest organic matter dynamics

[Erika Marín-Spiotta]

Subject: Graduate assistantships: Impacts of climate change on boreal
forest organic matter dynamics

Graduate assistantships: Impacts of climate change on boreal forest=20
organic matter dynamics
Graduate assistantships are available for keen and motivated students=20
interested in research and training centered around understanding the=20
impact of climate change on boreal forest organic matter reservoirs.  Thi=
s=20
assistantship is available as part of an NSERC Strategic Project research=
=20
team made up of foreign collaborators, provincial and Canadian Forest=20
Service partners as well as Memorial University researchers in Earth=20
Sciences and Chemistry.  The project is focused on exploiting the=20
established Newfoundland and Labrador Boreal Ecosystem Latitudinal=20
Transect (NL-BELT) with four sites located in western Newfoundland and=20=

southern Labrador. Here we are investigating the potential alterations in=
=20
microbial transformations of soil organic matter (SOM) and losses of=20
relatively slow turnover pools of SOM that may occur with warming along=20=

this boreal forest transect. To isolate the potential impact of warming=20=

while maintaining an ability to apply the results to intact boreal=20
forests, our group has been conducting investigations of soils along the=20=

NL-BELT and combining these with manipulative warming experiments to=20
develop biogeochemical indicators of soil responses to increasing=20
temperature.  It is anticipated that new graduate students in this progra=
m=20
will focus one of the following areas within this boreal forest climate=20=

change context:
1. Stream dissolved organic matter and nutrient cycling.
2. Distribution and turnover of microbial biomarkers and microbial=20
remnants in soils.
3. Relationship among soil organic matter turnover and it elemental,=20
isotopic and molecular character: Potential role of organic-mineral=20
interactions
Experience with aquatic or soil biogeochemistry, organic geochemistry,=20=

and/or environmental chemistry particularly at the M.Sc. level will be=20=

important.  Consideration of students seeking a M.Sc. degree will only be=
=20
considered in cases where a strong background of experience in=20
environmental chemistry is demonstrated (e.g. successful B.Sc. honors=20
thesis). Applicants should be willing and able to conduct field research=20=

at remote study sites for weeks at a time.

Assistantships will be available as early as January 1, 2013 through the=20=

Department of Earth Sciences or the Ph.D. program in Environmental=20
Sciences at Memorial University (http://www.mun.ca/). Memorial is the=20
largest university in Atlantic Canada. As the province=92s only universit=
y,=20
Memorial plays an integral role in the educational life of Newfoundland=20=

and Labrador (http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com). Offering a diverse se=
t=20
of undergraduate and graduate programs for approximately 18,000 students,=
=20
Memorial provides a distinctive and stimulating environment for learning=20=

in St. John=92s (http://www.stjohns.ca/index.jsp), a very safe, friendly=20=

city with great historical charm, a vibrant cultural life, and easy acces=
s=20
to a wide range of outdoor activities.

Please direct inquires or send applications, including letter of interest=
=20
and detailed curriculum vitae (including contact information for 3=20
references), to:
Dr. Susan Ziegler
Canada Research Chair in Environmental Science
Department of Earth Sciences
Memorial University
St. John=92s, NL  A1B 3X5
Canada
709.864.2669
sziegler at mun.ca

Review of applications will commence September 30, 2013.
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