We are announcing an opportunity for two Ph.D. students to join anexciting collaboration between Michigan Technological University and theU.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station. The students will studyresponses of roots and mycorrhizae to soil warming predicted to occur inthe Northeastern and North Central US during the next century. Multiplenew and ongoing field experiments ranging from 0 to 17 years of warming,located in a variety of regions and ecosystem types will be utilized inthe study.Position 1. Ph.D. research will focus on the acclimation or adaptationofroot systems to soil warming and the drier conditions that may co-occur.Potential topics for Ph.D. research include, but are not limited to, Callocation to root respiration and biomass production, nutrient uptakeandutilization, stand-level C and nutrient budgets, and modeling primaryproductivity and forest biogeochemical cycles.Position 2. Ph.D. research will focus on the effect of soil warming oncomposition, structure and function of mycorrhizal fungal communities.Potential research topics include the response of arbuscular andectomycorrhizal fungal biomass and community composition to warmerand/orwarmer and drier conditions, and the impacts these changes have onecosystem functions such as soil respiration, C allocation, abovegroundNPP, and soil C storage.Both students will have considerable flexibility in designing a researchprogram that investigates areas of personal interest, within the overallframework of the long-term project. A background in ecology, soilscience, mycology or a related field is required, as is an interest inthelinkages between community-, physiological- and ecosystem ecology.Experience with any of the following will be an asset, but is notrequired: root or mycorrhizal research; molecular identificationmethods;statistical analysis of community structure; physiological ecology ofplants and fungi; measurements of ecosystem nutrient and carbon poolsandfluxes. Proficiency in spoken and written English is a necessity.Selection will be based on academic achievements, reference letters andprevious research experience. An on-campus personal interview may berequired. Tuition and fees and a standard stipend package commensuratewith your experience will be offered.Interested candidates should send a resume highlighting their experienceand interests, GRE scores (TOEFL required for international students),andnames and email addresses of three references to both Dr. Andrew Burton(ajburton@mtu.edu) and Dr. Erik Lilleskov (elilleskov@fs.fed.us).The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at MichiganTechnological University (http://forestry.mtu.edu/) has state-of-the-artresearch facilities, including stable isotope and molecular geneticslaboratories and instrumentation. There is a large group of facultyinterested in ecosystem science at Michigan Tech and a well-establishedpartnership with the adjacent USDA Northern Research Station's ForestSciences Laboratory. MTU is located in Houghton, Michigan, on the scenicKeweenaw Peninsula. Proximity to beautiful Lake Superior and extensiveforests, lakes and rivers provides opportunities for a range ofrecreational activities, including hiking, canoeing and kayaking,fishingand cross-country skiing (http://www.keweenaw.org/visitor_info.htm).MTU is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunityemployer
