Field assistants

Needed: Two assistants for projects evaluating the ecological mechanisms of plant species
coexistence
Location: Cocha Cashu Biological Station, Manu National Park, Peru
Description: I take an experimental approach to understand the relative importance of various
mechanisms that maintain the plant species diversity in a tropical rainforest. I primarily work with seeds and seedlings, as they crucially influence the distribution and abundance of adult trees, but are much more amenable to manipulation.
The projects include: the effects of mammals, resource availability, and seed dispersal on
seedling recruitment, and the strength of competition among seedlings.
The ideal candidate would have the following attributes: a strong interest in tropical ecology or
botany, field research experience, acceptance of remote, rustic conditions, proficiency in Spanish,
and intellectual and financial independence.
Responsibilities may include: Censusing seedlings, taking canopy photos, establishing new
competition experiments, monitoring plant phenology, problem solving
Availability: January - March 2006
Compensation: Assistants will be responsable for costs of transportation to and from the station,
as well as station fees. A stipend may be available, commensurate with experience. Further information: See the Cocha Cashu website (http://www.duke.edu/~manu), and my
personal website (www.biology.lsu.edu/labpages/harmslab/tim)
If you're interested, email me your CV and contact information for three references!

cheers-
tim