A PhD student position at Finnish Environment Institute in
Helsinki, Finland.
Project title: "New measures from field experiments for
enhancing pollinator services and diversity in farmland".
We invite applications for a PhD student position at Finnish
Environment Institute (SYKE), starting in early 2009 (exact starting date to be
agreed). The project duration is three years (conditional, based on yearly
progress evaluation) and it is funded by Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation. The
work will be done within a research group consisting of researchers in SYKE and
in MTT Agrifood Research Finland, and it will be supervised by Mikko Kuussaari.
The project focuses on the diversity of pollinator insects
in agricultural landscapes. The aim is to develop practical measures which
enhance pollinator services and diversity in farmland based on large-scale
field experiments located in Jokioinen (ca 120 km NW from Helsinki). Three
field experiments examine how pollinator species richness and abundance may be
enhanced by establishing various kinds of long-term set-asides (experiment 1)
and open, 5-10 m wide semi-natural buffer zones in formerly cultivated fields
(experiment 2) and 5-10 m wide strips of former forests which are cleared from
trees along field edges (experiment 3). The data for the first (6-year)
experiment has already been collected and is ready for analyses and writing of
the first paper. The second experiment was started two years ago, and the third
experiment will be started in spring 2009. Data for the second and third
experiment will be gathered by the applicant during three summers 2009-2011.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual, who is
willing and able to do field work, can work both independently and in a team,
and has good communication skills and good skills in statistics. The focal
organism groups will be butterflies, other day-active Lepidoptera and
bumblebees. Identification skills on these taxa will benefit the applicant, and
identification of them will be required next summer in the field. Excellent
skills in English are expected. A Master’s degree or equivalent degree from a
relevant field (e.g. ecology, agroecology, environmental biology) is required,
but students very close to completing their MSc degree may also be considered.
The free form application should include the following
documents:
- Publication list
(if available)
- Copies of
relevant degree diplomas (including a list of grades in university courses and
a copy of MSc thesis evaluation if available)
- A statement of
research interests and motivation for applying this position (not exceeding two
pages)
- Reference
letters or contact information of two references
Deadline for applications (by post or by email) is 12
December 2008. The applications can be written in English or Finnish. Most
promising candidates will be interviewed before the end of the year. The
personal grant is tax free and is 1320 euros per month (i.e. 15848 euros per
year). Applications and queries for the further information on the project
should be addressed to:
Senior researcher Mikko Kuussaari, Finnish Environment Institute, Research Programme for Biodiversity, P.O. Box 140, FI-00251 Helsinki, Tel: +358-40-5256 249, Fax: +358-20-490 2290.
Email: mikko.kuussaari@ymparisto.fi
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