Ph.D. studentships in Reptile Ecology at James Cook University
My research group has funding to support the research projects of several exceptional PhD students examining mechanisms driving reptile habitat use in northern Australia. Reptiles constitute a significant proportion of the biodiversity here, and understanding the factors influencing habitat use is critical to understanding and predicting anthropogenic effects on biodiversity, such as grazing, weeds, fire, forestry and climate change, (and interactions among these processes). A quantitative understanding of the mechanisms describing faunal responses to various effects on habitat is the basis of sound management and conservation, and these projects are intended to significantly improve our understanding of factors driving reptile habitat selection.
We have been active in studying the mechanisms driving habitat selection, and shelter-site selection in tropical reptiles for many years. We are examining overall patterns in responses of reptile communities to weeds and other sources of habitat change (grazing, fire), but, importantly, we experimentally delve into the mechanisms driving these responses in an attempt to understand the causes of effects. We have experimentally examined the influence of habitat temperature, vegetation structure, predation, and competition, alone and in combination, on habitat selection in reptiles.
Our group has collaborative links with other researchers worldwide, and our students have a range of opportunities available upon completion. Recent Ph.D. graduates in this field are presently academic staff or postdocs at Universities around Australia. In addition, graduates have obtained jobs related to management and preservation of biodiversity (IUCN, CI).
Projects will focus on these topics:
1. Determining the influence of experimentally controlled, but realistic levels of grazing pressure on habitat and reptile community structure, and their interactions.
2. Constructing complex network models of the relationships between grazing pressure and reptile biodiversity.
3. Determining the habitat requirements and effects of disturbance on golden-tailed geckos in central Queensland.
Students should be available to start in February 2014 and will be based at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. We will only accept students who obtain PhD scholarships, which cover living expenses (ca. AU$24,600K/year) and tuition. Scholarships are highly competitive, and are awarded to students with these minimum qualifications:
1. A first class Honours degree, or a Master's degree with a research component. In exceptional cases they have been awarded to international students with Bachelor's degrees, research experience, and high-quality first-authored publications.
2. Very good to excellent grade point average
3. Research experience, in the field or laboratory
4. Strong letters of recommendation
5. A first-authored peer-reviewed publication (this is particularly important for international students; applicants with publications are much more likely to obtain scholarships, but if you excel in other areas this is not a strict requirement)
The scholarship deadline for international applicants is 31 August 2013, and for domestic (Australian) applicants is 31 October 2013.
Please send a CV, one page cover letter detailing your experience and interests, contact details for 3 references, and unofficial transcripts to <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] with "Reptile PhD" in the subject line. We will narrow down the pool of interested students and work with 2-3 individuals on their scholarship applications. TO BE CONSIDERD, APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 20 August 2013.
For general questions or enquiries, please contact <mailto:[email protected]>l<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
Cheers,
Lin Schwarzkopf <http://research.jcu.edu.au/portfoli...research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/lin.schwarzkopf
Lin Schwarzkopf
Professor and Personal Chair,
School of Marine and Tropical Biology
James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811 AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 7 4781 5467 Mob: 0417201256 Fax: +61 7 47251570
Email <file:///C:/Users/DAVIDI~1/AppData/Local/Temp/applewebdata://CF3DE495-C659-404A-BCEB-4EB8E59D80AA/[email protected]>[email protected]
www.jcu.edu.au/mtb
Location: DB28-225
JCU CRICOS Provider Code: 00117J
<http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=fXdzNyIAAAAJ>Google scholar profile
My research group has funding to support the research projects of several exceptional PhD students examining mechanisms driving reptile habitat use in northern Australia. Reptiles constitute a significant proportion of the biodiversity here, and understanding the factors influencing habitat use is critical to understanding and predicting anthropogenic effects on biodiversity, such as grazing, weeds, fire, forestry and climate change, (and interactions among these processes). A quantitative understanding of the mechanisms describing faunal responses to various effects on habitat is the basis of sound management and conservation, and these projects are intended to significantly improve our understanding of factors driving reptile habitat selection.
We have been active in studying the mechanisms driving habitat selection, and shelter-site selection in tropical reptiles for many years. We are examining overall patterns in responses of reptile communities to weeds and other sources of habitat change (grazing, fire), but, importantly, we experimentally delve into the mechanisms driving these responses in an attempt to understand the causes of effects. We have experimentally examined the influence of habitat temperature, vegetation structure, predation, and competition, alone and in combination, on habitat selection in reptiles.
Our group has collaborative links with other researchers worldwide, and our students have a range of opportunities available upon completion. Recent Ph.D. graduates in this field are presently academic staff or postdocs at Universities around Australia. In addition, graduates have obtained jobs related to management and preservation of biodiversity (IUCN, CI).
Projects will focus on these topics:
1. Determining the influence of experimentally controlled, but realistic levels of grazing pressure on habitat and reptile community structure, and their interactions.
2. Constructing complex network models of the relationships between grazing pressure and reptile biodiversity.
3. Determining the habitat requirements and effects of disturbance on golden-tailed geckos in central Queensland.
Students should be available to start in February 2014 and will be based at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. We will only accept students who obtain PhD scholarships, which cover living expenses (ca. AU$24,600K/year) and tuition. Scholarships are highly competitive, and are awarded to students with these minimum qualifications:
1. A first class Honours degree, or a Master's degree with a research component. In exceptional cases they have been awarded to international students with Bachelor's degrees, research experience, and high-quality first-authored publications.
2. Very good to excellent grade point average
3. Research experience, in the field or laboratory
4. Strong letters of recommendation
5. A first-authored peer-reviewed publication (this is particularly important for international students; applicants with publications are much more likely to obtain scholarships, but if you excel in other areas this is not a strict requirement)
The scholarship deadline for international applicants is 31 August 2013, and for domestic (Australian) applicants is 31 October 2013.
Please send a CV, one page cover letter detailing your experience and interests, contact details for 3 references, and unofficial transcripts to <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] with "Reptile PhD" in the subject line. We will narrow down the pool of interested students and work with 2-3 individuals on their scholarship applications. TO BE CONSIDERD, APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 20 August 2013.
For general questions or enquiries, please contact <mailto:[email protected]>l<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
Cheers,
Lin Schwarzkopf <http://research.jcu.edu.au/portfoli...research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/lin.schwarzkopf
Lin Schwarzkopf
Professor and Personal Chair,
School of Marine and Tropical Biology
James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811 AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 7 4781 5467 Mob: 0417201256 Fax: +61 7 47251570
Email <file:///C:/Users/DAVIDI~1/AppData/Local/Temp/applewebdata://CF3DE495-C659-404A-BCEB-4EB8E59D80AA/[email protected]>[email protected]
www.jcu.edu.au/mtb
Location: DB28-225
JCU CRICOS Provider Code: 00117J
<http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=fXdzNyIAAAAJ>Google scholar profile
