Natural Resources Job Board

We are seeking a mature, energetic PhD student to work within the Global Change Ecology Lab at the University of Alabama on a Natural Climate Change Solutions project at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, South Carolina. The student will have the opportunity to work with a multi-institutional group including scientists from the University of Georgia, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Savannah River National Laboratories. The student will develop their own study focused on carbon, water, and energy dynamics.

 

In this study, we propose to engineer an alternative longleaf ecosystem, where prescribed fire is replaced with the annual harvest of a native understory biofuel crop, specifically big bluestem and Indian grass. This engineered longleaf ecosystem will thereby provide landowners an opportunity for yearly profits while maintaining the integrity and development of the forest.  We will determine the success of this project by comparing this engineered site with two other longleaf-loblolly forests representative of the region, where prescribed fire is applied biannually: a 100+ year-old remnant forest and a reclaimed forest planted with these native grasses.  We will determine how variation in climate interacts with legacy effects to impact carbon, water and energy exchange over space and time while testing the viability of native grasses as biofuels to aid in mitigating fossil fuel emissions.

 

The position will entail:

 

1.     Monthly trips of 3-6 days of field work at SRS

2.     Maintaining eddy covariance tower operations

3.     Processing and analyzing eddy covariance data

4.     Coordination with our biofuels project at SRS

 

The applicant should be highly motivated and hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, with a master’s degree preferred, in forest ecology, atmospheric sciences, atmospheric chemistry, or a related field. Proficient R programming skills and a strong quantitative background are required for this project. Experience with eddy covariance techniques and Campbell Scientific loggers is a plus.  

 

 

A teaching assistantship will support the candidate during the academic year, and a research assistantship will support the candidate during the summer.  This position includes a tuition waiver and single-person health insurance.

 

Interested candidates should contact Gregory Starr (gstarr@ua.edu) and send a CV, letter of interest, research statement, and a writing sample.