Effects of climate warming on invasion potential of ornamental alien plant species
We are seeking a PhD student to work on a project in which we will assess the effects of climate warming on invasion potential of ornamental alien plant species. This work is part of a larger European BiodivERsA project on “Climate change and escaping ornamentals: Predicting the next generation of European plant invaders (acronym: WhoIsNext)”. Our subproject will include experimental introduction of ornamental alien plant species into native plant communities under ambient and elevated temperatures.
The successful candidate should have an interest in plant invasions and climate change, enjoy garden and field work, and have strong writing and statistical skills. The position is funded for three years, and the salary will be at scale 13 TV-L (65%). The position should start in March or April 2014.
The University of Konstanz is one of the Universities of Excellence in Germany, and is located on a small campus in the forests just outside the beautiful university town of Konstanz at the shore of Lake Constance, in close vicinity to the Alps. The Ecology group is young and very international, and works on a range of topics, including among others mating system evolution, plant responses to global change and determinants of plant invasiveness.
If you are interested in this position, send the following documents/information to mark.vankleunen@uni-konstanz.de:
- a letter of motivation
- your CV
- a writing sample (e.g. a publication that you wrote, your MSc thesis)
- the contact details of two references
Please, merge all these documents into a single PDF file, and include your name in the file name. The application deadline is 15 December 2013. For more information, contact mark.vankleunen@uni-konstanz.de.