The Ponisio Lab is seeking two field technicians to conduct fieldwork for a
new experiment investigating pollinator interactions in the Madrean Sky
Islands. This long-term project will explore how interaction patterns at
the individual, species, and network levels affect ecosystem resilience and
function, and how the assembly history of a community influences those
patterns. This is a collaborative project with Shalene Jha at the
University of Texas and Terry Griswold at the USDA Logan Bee Lab. Our
non-profit partner is Robinson Sudan at New Leaf.
We will be sampling plant-pollinator communities in southeastern Arizona
and northern New Mexico from mid-June to August 2017. A typical field day
will involve either driving or hiking to sampling sites in high-elevation
meadows, collecting pollinators for approximately four hours, and pinning
samples back at the campsite. We intend to camp for around five days at a
time, then return to one of two field stations (Southwestern Research
Station in Arizona and Sevilleta Field Station in New Mexico). We will work
in teams of two, and rotate the teams around the sampling sites.
*Responsibilities*
– Field monitoring and collection of pollinators
– Processing insect specimens in the lab including pinning bees,
labeling samples
– Data entry into spreadsheets
– Periodic monitoring of trap nesting surveys or other miscellaneous
pollination experiments
*Qualifications*
*Required*
– Interest in botany, entomology, conservation biology and field ecology
– Previous field or lab experience or coursework related to botany
and/or entomology
– Attention to detail (will be collecting and working with original
data)
– Highly motivated and able to work independently
– Basic computer skills (Word, Excel)
– Ability to work in field under sunny conditions for long hours
– Car camping and/or backpacking experience
– Valid Drivers License
*Preferred*
– Bachelors degree in relevant field
– Previous experience studying pollinators, especially native bees
and/or monitoring other insect populations
– Previous field experience in the southwestern U.S.
The salary for this position is $2641- $3082 monthly, depending on previous
experience.
Candidates should apply for this position by March 27, 2017 by emailing
Kaysee Tom at kathleen.c.tom@gmail.com with =E2=80=9CField Tech Application =E2=80=93
YourLastName=E2=80=9D as the subject line, e.g., =E2=80=9CField Tech Application =E2=80=93
Ponisio.=E2=80=9D Please include a cover letter, C.V., and the names and contact
information for 2-3 references.
————
*About the Ponisio Lab*
The Ponisio Lab (http://www.ponisiolab.com) is a new lab at the University
of California, Riverside. With continued degradation of ecosystems, we need
to know how to restore biodiversity, both for conservation and to ensure
the provision of essential services provided by nature. To manage and
restore diversity in human-modified systems, however, we need to understand
the mechanisms that originally maintained biodiversity. The Ponisio Lab
studies the mechanisms operating in complex systems, specifically
ecological communities, that underlie diversity maintenance.
The questions we are currently tackling are along these lines: 1) How do
the characteristics of communities affect interaction patterns? 2) How do
interaction patterns feedback to affect the characteristics of communities?
3) How can we design (restore) degraded communities to promote stability
and evolutionary potential (applying all the principles learned from the
above)?
— Kaysee Tom
Lab Manager, Ponisio Lab, UC Riverside
kathleen.c.tom@gmail.com