PhD opportunity

Population growth rates of owls and kestrels in spatio-temporarily varying environments

for one year (12 mo).

The project is at Section of Ecology, Dept. Biol., Univ. Turku, Finland (financed by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, etc. in 2010-2011).

We have >25-yr data from fecundity (clutch size, reproductive success and age of first reproduction), natal and breeding dispersal distances, juvenile and adult survival as well as diet composition of Tengmalm’s owls and Eurasian kestrels in two large study areas in western Finland. In addition, we have >20-yr data from breeding densities, reproduction rate and diet of short-eared and long-eared owls. The density estimates of main prey species of owls and kestrels have been also collected, and data from changes in habitat composition and weather conditions are also available. Therefore, these data will yield an unique possibility to comprehensively analyse effects of long-term spatio-temporal variation of the environment on numerical and functional responses of owls and kestrels. This may provide new insights for understanding ecological processes behind population dynamics.


Details on the research environment, research projects and their productivity can be found in http://users.utu.fi/ekorpi/index.htm

The Ph.D. student will take part in the planning and execution of the project, as well as will analyse the existing long-term data, and write papers. The 1-yr post can be extended up to 4 years.
Requirements:
-MSc in Biology with specialisation in ecology
-theoretical interest in ecology research and experimental skills
-skills to analyse data and to write mss
-motivation and ambition to obtain a Ph.D. degree within 4 years.

Queries and applications (CV, list of publications, a summary of research interests and motivation for this project) to prof. Erkki Korpimäki,
tel. +358-2-3335699, fax +358-2-3336550,
E-mail ekorpi@utu.fi
Deadline for applications is 15 May 2010
Address: Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland.


**********************************************************************
****** Professor, animal ecology

at Section of Ecology, Department of Biology,
University of Turku, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland
Tel. +358 2 3335699 Fax. +358 2 3336550
E-mail ekorpi@utu.fi

WWW home page:
http://users.utu.fi/ekorpi/index.htm (download pfd:s of papers
published in 1985-2010, etc.)