Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Dept. of Conservation Biology, Uppsala
PhD student in Conservation Biology

Department of Conservation Biology conducts research and education on conservation biology and its links to human activities. More information is available at www.nvb.slu.se and www.nvb.slu.se/ staff_tordsnall.

We are looking for a PhD student who will contribute to increase the understanding of spatial dynamics of species living in changing landscapes. Such understanding is important in the judgement of risk of species extinction under scenarios of landscape change, for example due to forestry or climate change.

Do you want to conduct research on population ecology and conservation biology? Do you have a Master degree in forestry or ecology? Then, you may be the one that we are looking for. You should be analytic, a skilled writer and enjoy working in the field or in the lab. We would be happy to see that you are outgoing and easily establish and maintain contacts in the research community as well as in the society as a whole. Driving licence is a requirement, and some knowledge of mosses and lichens is an advantage.

Within the research project we study the spatial dynamics of forest plants. The aim of the work is to develop models to predict these dynamics. Study species are mosses and lichens that grow on the bark of trees, so called epiphytes. Currently, the most uncertain parameters of our models are the rate of species establishment and growth, and the species dispersal range. The person that we look for will work on increasing the knowledge about these processes. He/she will mainly work experimentally with the aim of quantifying establishment probability and growth rate of the species, but there may also be a possibility to conduct population genetic work for studying dispersal, or computer simulations for investigating the effect of scenarios of landscape change on the long-term persistence of species. Most of the field work will be conducted in Kuhmo, central-eastern Finland.

SLU is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Contact persons:
Tord SnÔll, phone: +46-18-67 27 40, e-mail: tord.snall(at)nvb.slu.se
Lena Gustafsson, e-mail: lena.gustafsson(at)nvb.slu.se,
Roger Svensson +46-18-67 24 54, e-mail: roger.svensson(at)nvb.slu.se.
Union representatives: for SACO, Lars Eriksson, phone: +46-18-67 31 37, for ST, Maud Lindmark, phone: +46-18-67 22 64.
Three copies of the application, marked with reference number 3004/06 should be submitted to the Registrar of SLU, P.O. Box 7070, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden, no later than December 04, 2006. The application shall include a short summary of what you have done before, a short research plan (ẵ-1 page), MSc thesis (or equivalent), curriculum vitae, reference person(s), and other documents.