Dear colleagues,
A PhD student position in ecology (4 years) focused on landscape genetics of plants in dammed rivers is available at Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University.
This project integrates genomic methods and ecological modeling to assess the effect of landscapes on evolutionary processes. We use recent conceptual and methodological advances in genetics and spatial ecology to study patterns in gene flow and how this is influenced by landscape structure and obstruction of dispersal pathways by land-use activities.
The project will use genetic markers to infer how dispersal of riverine plants has been affected by dams in regulated rivers. We will also evaluate the distribution of genetic diversity along the river course in selected plant species. We test (1) whether dams are barriers to plant dispersal, resulting in isolated populations with higher genetic differentiation between sites separated by dams than between populations in the same impoundment or among sites in free-flowing rivers, and (2) whether the downstream increase in genetic diversity of riverine plants documented in many species is absent or less pronounced in rivers fragmented by dams. The results of the project will help manage regulated rivers with the aim to conserve riverine plant communities.
See further details and apply at: https://umu.mynetworkglobal.com/en/what:job/jobID:254914/
Application deadline: April 15th, 2019
Cheers,
Roland
Roland Jansson
Dept. of Ecology and Environmental Science
Umeå University
SE-901 87 Umeå
Sweden
Phone +46-90-7869573 alt +46-70-3686605
