Two Current Openings for Ph.D. Level Research (current June 23rd, 2006)
1). Study of spatial and temporal nutrient loading dynamics to Newnans Lake, funded by the St. Johns River Water Management District. Selected individual would assist with research on improving understanding of lake-watershed dynamics in a shallow, hyper-eutrophic lake approx. 5 miles east of Gainesville FL. Potential research topics include quantifying the role of wetland systems in watershed auto-purification, developing rapid sediment and biological proxies for stream water quality, exploring spatial and temporal loading dynamics as a function of land use, and coupled statistical/process prediction of loading dynamics. Candidates with experience in geographic information systems, water quality/biogeochemistry, wetlands, and/or statistical analysis of environmental data are encouraged to apply. Funds are available for 4 years.
2) Study of community dynamics in ridge-slough ecosystem mosaic, funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Geological Survey. The selected individual would be charged with refining our understanding of how hydrology affects community dynamics in the ridge-slough (RS) mosaic. The RS system is driven by autogenically induced differences in soil elevation. Peat accretion in the ridge systems is more rapid than in the sloughs, leading to shallower water depths, which in turn favors vegetation typical of a ridge system. This principal feedback results in both slow and fast ecosystem variables that strongly affect the community selection between essentially two stable states. As hydrologic changes in the Everglades have accumulated, there has been a general loss of sloughs. Our charge in this work is to understand the hydrologic drivers of community selection in mesocosms. Funds available for 4 years.
A Note to Prospective Students
NOTE: Students interested in water, wetlands and watersheds should also explore applying to the recently funded NSF-IGERT program in adaptive management of water resources. This program permits students to work with the faculty of their choice, but embeds them in an interdisciplinary program in adaptive management. IGERT fellows are expected to travel during at least one summer to one of serveral globally significant wetland sites (Okavango Delta - Botswana, Pantanal - Brazil, Yucutan karst wetlands - Mexico, Everglades - USA).
