PhD in plant community ecology (USA)

The Jarchow Lab in the Department of Biology at the University of South Dakota is seeking a PhD student interested in plant community ecology to begin in the summer or fall of 2016.  Research in the lab is focused on how the diversity and management of tallgrass prairies affects their functioning.  More information about the Jarchow Lab is available at:  http://sites.usd.edu/jarchow-lab/home.

I am looking for a PhD student to work on the COmparing Managed Prairie Systems (COMPS) experiment, which is a field experiment that began in 2014.  The overarching research objective of this experiment is to determine how two factors, the timing of disturbance and plant functional group identity, interact to affect biomass production, plant community composition, and exotic species invasion in managed tallgrass prairie systems.  Research on the COMPS experiment will include aboveground and belowground plant dynamics.

Funding for the position will be through a combination of graduate assistantships and teaching assistantships.  More information about USD’s Graduate School and admissions guidelines are available at: http://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/future-students.  More information about USD’s Biology Department is available at:  http://www.usd.edu/arts-and-sciences/biology/graduate.

Interested applicants should e-mail me (Meghann.Jarchow@usd.edu) with any questions and the following information:
·         a CV or resume with GPA and GRE scores and

·         a brief statement of research experience, research interests, and career goals.

Applications to the Graduate School are due by 15 February 2016.


Meghann Jarchow
Assistant Professor
Sustainability Program Coordinator
Department of Biology
University of South Dakota
http://sites.usd.edu/jarchow-lab/