PhD Student Post Available
Finnish Academy project:
'United we stand': Does the role of positive plant-plant
interactions increase with abiotic stress?
University of Turku
Turku, Finland
Applicant Deadline: Friday, 30 January 2004
For further information, please contact:
Mikhail Kozlov (mikoz [at] utu.fi)
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The University of Turku, Turku, Finland is seeking to fill a PhD
student post in the project 'United we stand': Does the role of positive plant-plant
interactions increase with abiotic stress?
PROJECT OUTLINE
The existence and importance of positive and beneficial interactions
within certain plant communities have recently been highlighted in a
number of studies. The empirical evidences have been summarized in a
form of several models, one of which (Brooker & Callaghan 1999 - Oikos
81: 196-207) links the balance between positive and negative plant-plant
interactions with the level of stress or disturbance. According to this
model, beneficial interactions exist in all kinds of environments, but
contribute little to the community structure in the 'optimal'
conditions, where competition plays the leading role; importance of
facilitation increases with increase in environmental severity.
The project aims at testing and further development of the mentioned
model by:
(1) quantifying both positive and negative bi-directional interactions
between the dominant (keystone) subarctic plants, in terms of both
spatial distribution and fitness, at different level of abiotic stress;
(2) exploring causal links beyond the plant-plant interactions along
strong environmental gradients by means of field and greenhouse
experiments.
CANDIDATE INFORMATION
Applicants are required to have a M.Sc. with specialization in ecology.
Experience in field and greenhouse experiments with plants (especially
birch), knowledge of scientific English, good writing and statistical
skills are factors that contribute to the ranking of candidates.
Knowledge of practical Russian (or willingness to learn a few Russian
words and phrases before beginning of fieldwork) and driving license are
important although not essential. Motivation and ambition to complete a
Ph.D. within three years and ability / willingness to work in harsh
environmental conditions of the Kola Peninsula (Russia) are mandatory.
Employment: From March 1, 2004 (minor deviations are possible). Salary
class A18-A20 (2088 USD - 2290 USD/month)
RESPONSIBILITIES
The student is expected to work in small international research team and
(i) share responsibility for establishment and monitoring of field
experiments with birch seedlings (to study intraspecific interactions in
environmental stress gradients),
(ii) semi-independently establish greenhouse experiments with birch
seedlings (to study among-population variation in competitive abilities,
and contribution of mycorrhizal fungi to plant-plant interactions),
(iii) contribute to processing of already collected field data and
writing of research manuscripts, (iv) participate management of the
project and planning of the future research.
QUERIES AND APPLICATIONS
Please send applications in English.
Applicant Deadline: Friday, 30 January 2004
Send CV, list of publications, reprint/copy of one research
paper/manuscript to which the applicant had contributed substantially
(not obligatory), a summary of research interests and motivation for
this project, names and emails of two potential referees, to:
Mikhail Kozlov (mikoz [at] utu.fi)
Section of Ecology
University of Turku
Turku, Finland 20014