2 postdoc and 1 PhD in Climate Change

UW-Madison: 2 Postdoc and 1 PHD position available to study the effects of
extreme climate events on avian demographics: the role of habitat refugia
in mitigating climate change

Overview: Climate change poses severe threats to biodiversity, and
conservationists have to adapt their management decisions to a changing
climate. The challenge is that the biological response to future climate
change is uncertain. Climate change will entail a general warming, but
even more importantly may increase the frequency of extreme climate events
(such as multiyear droughts) and extreme weather events (such as shorter
droughts, heatwaves, and cold snaps).

Our NASA funded study has two major goals. The first is a basic science
question: we seek to predict the effects of extreme climate and weather
events, including droughts, heat waves, and cold snaps during the breeding
season, on bird demographics, focusing especially on waterfowl and forest
birds. As part of this question we will test four alternative hypotheses
to explain observed abundance declines: (1) the lower recruitment
hypothesis, (2) the adult mortality hypothesis, (3) the long-distance
dispersal hypothesis, and (4) the refugia hypothesis.

Our second goal is an applied research question: we seek to quantify the
role of National Wildlife Refuges and National Forests as refugia for
waterfowl and forest birds respectively during extreme events, and to
identify management actions to enhance this function.

The project is a collaboration between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(La Crosse, Wisconsin, P. Heglund)United States Geological Survey (La
Crosse, Wisconsin, W. Thogmartin), the US Forest Service (Ft. Collins,
Colorado, C. Flather), UW-Madison (Madison, Wisconsin, A. Pidgeon, V.
Radeloff, and S. Vavrus), and Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, New
York, R. Akcakaya). At this point, we are filling three positions that
will all be based in Madison, Wisconsin. A fourth position for a PhD
student with R. Akcakaya focusing on population modeling will be filled in
2012.

Positions: Three positions (one PhD and 2 Post-doc positions) will be
based in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. We are offering
each as a fully funded 3-year position, with the potential for a fourth
year depending on performance and project objectives. In terms of the
different work tasks, we envision the following team composition:
- One person (either PhD or post-doc) will focus on changes in
forest bird populations in response to extreme climate events under the
supervision of A. Pidgeon.
- One person (either PhD or post-doc) will focus on changes in
waterfowl populations in response to extreme climate events, and will be
under the joint supervision of A. Pidgeon and V. Radeloff.
- One position (either PhD or post-doc) will assess and predict
extreme events, and will work under the supervision of V. Radeloff and S.
Vavrus.

PhD students would be appointed as 12-month research assistants, with an
annual salary of $20,400, tuition remission, and full benefits including
health insurance. Postdocs would be appointed as 12-month research
associates, salary is competitive and commensurate with experience, and
full benefits including health insurance is included.

Start date for all positions is flexible, funding is in hand, and an early
start date is preferred. The positions are open to both U.S. citizen, and
non-residents.

Qualifications: We are especially interested in candidates who can
contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community.
For applicants at the PhD level, a MS degree in ecology, wildlife ecology,
atmospheric science, geography, environmental science, or related
disciplines is required. Applicants with a BS degree will only be
considered if substantial relevant experience can be shown. A solid
working knowledge of remote sensing, GIS, and statistics is required.

For applicants at the postdoctoral level, we expect a completed Ph.D. in
an appropriate field (see list in previous paragraph) prior to
appointment. Candidates should have a strong background in
spatial/landscape ecology; intimate working knowledge of GIS; and strong
quantitative skills. For the person filling the position focusing on
extreme events, experience in working with climate data is desirable.

For all three positions, we seek candidates who work well in a
collaborative setting and have excellent communication and writing skills.
Good English writing and verbal communication skills, and a demonstrated
ability as a team member, are essential.

To apply: Candidates should send a cover letter summarizing their
research interests, a CV that spells out skills, and the contact
information for three references. Please indicate in your cover letter
explicitly which topical area you are interested in, and at which level
(PhD or postdoc) you are applying.

Review of applicants will begin immediately; position will remain open
until suitable candidates are found. All applications received on or
before August 1st 2011 are guaranteed consideration. Application packages
(e-mailed as a single PDF file) should be sent to apidgeon@wisc.edu and
vradeloff@wisc.edu