I don't mean to beat a dead horse -- or in this case, a dead moose -- to
death, but the following is part of a job announcement that appeared this
morning on CONSBIO, another listserver, and I thought that it might make some
people feel better about their university salaries -- and their working
conditions.
 
The dollar value of the position below was not specified, but given that it
is an NSF-sponsored position, it will probably range from about $22,000 to
$30,000 over the 5-year term of the position. That range is pretty much
standard for NSF/NIH post-doctoral positions nowadays.
 
Of perhaps even greater interest are the two sections, "Required
qualifications" and "Desired qualifications" (what "harsh conditions" and
"validate the model" quite likely means is that you will probably have to, at
times, find the animals, re-program the tracking collars, make basic
ecological measurements and record field notes using  a laptop, with thick
gloves on, at sub-zero temperatures, in a howling wind, after hiking fifteen
miles through deep snow, and while avoiding getting too lost).
 
Wirt Atmar
 
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Post. Doc Position in Moose-Ecosystem Interactions
 
We are seeking a qualified Post. Doc. applicant for a 5-year,
NSF-funded project on the interactions between moose, nitrogen
cycling, and emerging landscape patterns in the boreal forests of
a wilderness area of Voyageurs National Park in Northern Minnesota.
 
The project consists of:
 
1) Monitoring the movement of 6 moose fitted with Global Positioning
   System collars.
2) Further development of a spatially explicit model that integrates
   moose browsing, moose population dynamics, energetics, foraging
   strategies, ecosystem processes, and the response of plant
   communities on the landscape.
3) Field work on the spatial patterns of existing plant communities,
   browsing intensity, and soil nitrogen availability.
4) Validation of the model above.
 
Required Qualifications:
 
PhD in Ecology, Wildlife Biology, Conservation Biology, or a related field.
 
Desired Qualifications:
 
Mathematical modeling, field experience, programming in C++, ability to
work in the field under harsh conditions.
 
The exact nature of the research is negotiable.
 
The location of residence of the Post Doc fellow will be either at
Duluth, Minnesota, or the Twin-Cities, Minnesota. Travel between these
two locations (2.5 hrs by interstate) will be required.
 
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