I am seeking students for two projects:

Trait-Based Grassland Restoration:  This Masters project will examine the legacy effects of grazing and irrigation on native grass restoration in the House Rock Valley of Northern Arizona, and will undertake restoration of degraded grassland using a trait-based approach.  This project will address both theoretical questions focused on community assembly and coexistence, and applied question on how to bolster resistance, resilience, and biodiversity in degraded and grazed grasslands.

Climate Response of Disconnected Ponderosa Pine Understory Communities: This PhD project will examine differing functional and species composition of ponderosa pine understories in Arizona, and their responses to climate manipulations.  Research will take place near Flagstaff and on the Kiabab Plateau.  There is also the potential for work examining trait-based integral projection models of key understory species.

Successful applicants will display strong communication and quantitative skills, and be able to conduct fieldwork in remote locations.  Exceptional PhD applicants will be considered for the Northern Arizona Presidential Fellowship Program.  PhD applicants must have a Masters degree to be considered at NAU.

For more information, please contact Rachel Mitchell (rachel.mitchell@nau.edu) with a subject line of Grad Recruitment and indicate either MS or PhD.  Please attach a resume/CV and your GPA and GRE scores as well as a letter of interest by November 15th (Applications are Due January 15th, 2018 for Fall 2018 consideration).

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