Cumulative impacts of invasive plant species in British Columbia’s foreshore and riparian ecosystems.

Description: A funded, 4-year PhD (Biology) studentship is available with Dr. Jason Pither in the Biodiversity and Landscape Ecology Research Facility, within Department of Biology at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus (https://jasonpither.weebly.com).

Foreshore and riparian ecosystems in British Columbia are vitally important from cultural, economic, and ecological standpoints, yet are increasingly being impacted by numerous anthropogenic stressors including introduced invasive species. Complementing ongoing research in the lab (Mologni, F., Moffat, C.E. & Pither, J. 2023. Environ Evid, 12, 31), the broad objective of this PhD position is to undertake research synthesis, meta-analyses, and species distribution modeling (potentially including ground-truthing field work) to inform policy and management relevant to mitigating the cumulative impacts of invasive species in these ecosystems. This position is supported in part by the British Columbia Ministry Forests, which is responsible for the stewardship of provincial Crown land and waters and ensures the sustainable management of forest, wildlife, water and other land-based resources. The student will have opportunities to network and develop relationships with stakeholders across the province.

Prospective students must have completed a primary research project at the honours or masters level, demonstrated experience in coding, and knowledge of the invasion biology of plants. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in meta-analyses and/or species distribution modeling, and coding in R. A passion for rigorous, reproducible, and transparent research is an asset. The successful candidate will be expected to publish papers in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at both academic and non-academic meetings.

The preferred start date for the position is September 2025, but a later start may be negotiated.

Information about the Biology PhD program at UBC’s Okanagan campus can be found here.

Interested applicants can email me at jason.pither <at> ubc.ca with the subject heading “PhD in invasive species research”. In such correspondence, please include a current CV, your prior experience relevant to the position, and your motivation for applying to this position.