Climate change and urbanization on the major ecosystems of Long Island, New York

M.S. student wanted to model the effects of climate change and urbanization on the major ecosystems of Long Island, New York starting in Fall 2009 or spring 2010

M.S. position modeling the effects of climate change and urbanization on the major plant ecosystems of Long Island, New York. The objective of this project is to model the predicted changes in the distributions of the major plant species that structure the most important ecosystems of Long Island at chosen future time slices. The models will include consideration of sea level rise and increasing urbanization. The student will use existing data sets and GIS data and work with The Nature Conservancy, Natural Area Inventory, and Dr. Luca Luiselli, an ecological modeler (F.I.Z.V. (Ecology) and Centre of Environmental Studies, Rome).

The student will be enrolled at Hofstra University. The position comes with full tuition remission, but does not include salary or housing. There may be opportunities for teaching positions and other employment.

The project may involve field work but will mostly require a detailed evaluation of previously collected data. The candidate will be part of a research group composed of professors and students in the Hofstra University Center for Climate Study (HUCCS), spearheaded by Dr. E. Christa Farmer (Geology). One branch of the research, headed by Dr. David Weissman (Physics), will study the effect of rain on the CO2 absorption in the ocean using space-based microwave radar. The research project advertised here is headed by Dr. Russell Burke (Biology). The third branch of HUCCS research will investigate paleotempestology, or the study of prehistoric hurricanes from the geologic record, and will be spearheaded by Dr. Farmer. The results from these studies will be disseminated to the scientific community through publications and presentations at scientific meetings, and to the public through a museum exhibit.

Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, with experience in both plant ecology and GIS. A strong interest in conservation, quantitative ecology, and statistics. The successful applicant must be accepted as a graduate student in the Department of Biology at Hofstra University, a small but intensive graduate program with new undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Urban Ecology.

Documents to provide by e-mail : Send a short letter of introduction, a CV, unofficial copies of academic transcripts, and the name and e-mail address of 3 references to Dr. Burke at biorlb@hofstra.edu.

The evaluation of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled

Dr. Russell Burke
Associate professor
Department of Biology
Hofstra University
biorlb@hofstra.edu