Ecosystems
Submitted by sprowles on April 7, 2008 - 2:14pm.
Name of Job: NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates in Ecosystem Ecology Description: Overview of NSF-REU program:
The National Science foundation seeks to increase research training for undergraduate students through mentored research experiences. These opportunities seek to involve students in the process of investigation and further their research skills.
Ecosystem impacts of sudden oak death:
We seek one student to assist in efforts to quantify the impacts of Sudden Oak Death on forest nutrient cycling. Ecosystem impacts of forest pathogens are relatively unstudied thus, this represents an opportunity for a student to gain experience working on a frontier of ecological knowledge. The student will also gain valuable interdisciplinary experience through working with plant pathologists, ecologists, and natural resource managers. Field measurements include rates of infection, mortality, N turnover, and litter decay. Summer research has three objectives: 1) quantify pathogen distribution in a large-scale restoration experiment in Southern Mendocino County; 2) assess the effects of multiple pathogens on nutrient cycling across a network of long-term study plots; and 3) monitor changes in litterfall, N mineralization, and litter decay in forests impacted by Sudden Oak Death. The student will conduct independent study based on one or more of these objectives.
Location and timing:
The position is full time for 3 months over summer 2008. The month of June is expected to be mostly based in the field with additional field work in July and August. Field based research will be conducted in coastal California forests, many of which are remote, and have limited access. Additional meetings, laboratory processing, and data analysis will be conducted at the UC Davis Rizzo Lab in Davis California.
Expectations and qualifications:
Students pursuing a bachelor degree or with significant training in one of the following areas are encouraged to apply: forestry, soil science/nutrient cycling, botany/plant ecology, plant pathology, and mathematics or statistics. Students who graduate in spring 2008 may be eligible. This position is field intensive, students must be in good physical shape, be willing to work in remote field settings, and carry a heavy pack over rough/steep terrain. At the end of the summer, the student will make a poster presentation of their research that will be displayed within the Plant Pathology department.
The stipend is $1800/month. Accommodations in the field will be provided.
To apply:
Please send a 1-2 page letter describing your qualifications, research interests, and career goals, a copy of (unofficial) transcripts, and two letters of reference to Richard Cobb electronically or by mail. Submission of a resume is encouraged. Students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Please write for clarifications or more information.
Richard Cobb; Care of David Rizzo
1 Shields Avenue 152 Hutchison Hall
Davis, California 95616
Submitted by cmjones on May 7, 2007 - 1:36pm.
Name: Kelly Research and Outreach Lab Description: Wetland and terrestrial monitoring and management at UC Berkeley.
Submitted by cmjones on May 7, 2007 - 1:33pm.
Description: Our lab focuses on ecosystem ecology and biogeochemical cycling in the plant-soil-atmosphere interfaces, the effects of disturbance on nutrient cycling, and the relationships among nutrient cycling, land-use, and biodiversity.
Submitted by cmjones on March 15, 2007 - 11:57am.
Title of News: Tropics source of much of world's biodiversity Summary: Since the 19th century, naturalists and explorers have noted the much greater abundance of species in the tropics compared to higher latitudes, such as North America and Europe. Paleontologists from UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and the University of Chicago have now found out why -- the tropics are a hothouse for new species, which then gradually spread out towards the poles.
Submitted by cmjones on March 14, 2007 - 12:42pm.
Course Title: Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems Description: Interdisciplinary course taught
in conjunction with Civil and Environmental Engineering 210N, for students who intend to carry out
research on damaged ecosystems, supervise actual restorations or enhancement,
and also students who are simply interested in this field. The course
emphasizes differences and similarities in restoration goals and strategies
among wetlands, rivers, lakes, and estuaries, and coastal oceans. The course
format is based on the Dahlem system where students prepare and present
orally and in writing, one or two aspects of the topic and culminates with an
all-day conference on aquatic restoration/enhancement
Submitted by cmjones on March 14, 2007 - 12:29pm.
Course Title: Methods in Ecology and Environmental Biology Description: This course will introduce
students to the diversity of methods and techniques used in ecology and environmental biology. It will
focus on major areas of research such as environmental science, population and community ecology, environmental physiology, and
ecosystem ecology. In particular, we will discuss the processes that
influence the relationships between the biosphere and the atmosphere and the
effects of anthropogenic changes, the components and functions of
biodiversity, the interactions among organisms and between organisms and
their environments,
and the major biogeochemical cycles. Each topic will be analyzed from a
theoretical and an empirical - practical perspective during the weekly
sessions.
Submitted by cmjones on March 13, 2007 - 1:19pm.
Description: Examine major issues and
approaches in ecosystem management. Topics include development of the
ecosystem approach, valuation of ecosystem commodities and services,
assessment of ecosystem sustainability, simulation and prediction of
ecosystem dynamics, decision-making methods, social and institutional
aspects. Particular emphasis is given to emerging conceptual frameworks and
analytical tools.
Submitted by cmjones on March 12, 2007 - 1:35pm.
Description: Analysis of environmental factors, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem dynamics, as
related to decision-making for landscape planning and design
Submitted by cmjones on March 12, 2007 - 1:23pm.
Description: In this field-oriented course,
we will visit sites representative of diverse grassland, chaparral, scrub
land, forest, desert, river, marsh, and intertidal ecosystems of California.
We will spend up to three weeks studying one or two habitat types that occur
at a given field site. Our first site will introduce students to the natural
history and ecological patterns at sites. During a second meeting on campus,
we will give a 1.5 hour lecture and lead a 2 hour discussion on ecological
issues relevant to processes and patterns exemplified at a given site.
Methods for field investigations will also be discussed and demonstrated.
During our third meeting, we will revisit the site, and students will collect
quantitative data that test hypotheses about processes influencing species
distributions and abundances. Course requirements will include a research
proposal in National Science Foundation format, that presents field results
as seed data, develops a program for subsequent investigation of problems
uncovered by preliminary results, and justifies the importance of the
proposed research with discussions from the literature. A final oral
presentation in a class symposium is required.
Submitted by cmjones on March 9, 2007 - 1:28pm.
Course Title: Global Environmental Change Description: An overview of the interactive
processes that result in the mosaic of environments on the earth and the controls on the distribution of
ecosystems. Environmental
change is explored on a variety of time and spatial scales so as to enhance
our capability to distinguish between natural and human-induced climatic,
biotic, and physical changes.
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