Study opportunity in the Arctic:
2-3 positions are available for interested students to join a field
course/expedition studying arctic vegetation this summer. Six students will
join an international group of six distinguished arctic vegetation
scientists to travel along a transect from the northern to southern Candian Arctic.
The purpose of the transect is to resolve some of the terminology conflicts
that exist between the North American, Russian, and Fennoscandian zonal
approaches. We will focus on zonal vegetation within five phytogeographic
subzones as they are defined by Yurtsev. We will be sampling vegetation
using the Braun-Blanquet sampling methods along mesotopographic gradients to
characterize transitions in vegetation related to climate.
Students will receive graduate or undergraduate credit from the University
of Minnesota through the Arctic Field Ecology program and participate in
daily workshops with the scientists to describe and define vegetation
zonation related to the north/south climatic gradient. These workshops are a
component of the ongoing Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Mapping project.
This is a rare opportunity to experience a wide range of Arctic
environments, learn from experts from the US, Canada, Europe, and Russia,
gain skills in mapping, GPS, remote sensing, and vegetation description,
and receive credit.
The dates in the field will be July 19th to August 11th. Course costs are
$3300 US and include tuition for 5 credits and all expenses during the
course.
For more information please respond soon by email or call Bill Gould at
gouldw [at] taimyr.colorado.edu, 303-492-6631, http://muskox.com.