Natural Resources Job Board

The Integrative Wildlife Conservation lab at Trent University is initiating new research on the movement, feeding, and spatial dynamics of snowshoe hares at Kluane Lake, Yukon, Canada. Hares have been studied for >40 years on-site, and this new work will investigate the role of food and vegetative structure on hare behavioural repertoires in the context of their 10-year population cycles. Hares live on a fine edge between risk of predation/starvation vs. sustainable nutrition, setting the stage for critical behavioural tradeoffs though space and time. Using archived as well as new GPS telemetry and accelerometry data, combined with assays of structural cover and food availability/quality from remote sensing, the project will address some of the following questions: 1) Whether hares adjust movements and feeding behaviours in response to variation in food and cover, and 2) If hare responses are fine-tuned according to cyclic population dynamics and corresponding variation in predation risk and conspecific density. It is uncertain how hares survive on low-quality woody browse and limited shrub cover during winter, setting the stage for using hyperspectral imaging and LiDAR to help develop: 3) Maps of hare nutritional/structural cover landscapes through space and time, and 4) Relating hare behaviours to these complex, variable environments. Additional remote sensing using ground penetrating radar (GPR) can further support these efforts by: 5) Addressing the role of local snow conditions (depth, hardness) on food/cover availability, and corresponding hare responses through the winter season. Data resulting from such research could support dynamic models exploring how hares respond to environmental variation under climate change. The PhD student will have the opportunity to develop specific research questions within the scope of the larger project.

The successful applicant MUST have an MSc in Ecology, Conservation Biology, or related field, demonstrated evidence of peer-reviewed publications, strong field and quantitative skills, and an interest in working collaboratively within a large and diverse research group. Additional desirable skills include animal handling, Remote sensing and post-processing, GPS telemetry, application of animal movement models and spatial analysis, and working in remote field conditions, including during winter.  For additional details, see www.dennismurray.ca. 

To apply, send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, unofficial academic transcript, and contact information for 3 references to: Dennis Murray (dennismurray@trentu.ca). 

The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found.