MSC POSITION: EFFECTS OF HISTORICAL AND CURRENT LAND USE ON SOIL CARBON

Location:

The position will be based in London, ON with fieldwork based out of Fredericton, NB.

Description:

This MSc position will join a collaborative project between the Canadian Forest Service, Western University and the University of New Brunswick that is developing a forest management plan for 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown. Forest and field carbon accounting are a part of this management plan and the MSc student’s work will contribute to this effort by collecting information on how historical and current land use decisions have influenced soil carbon stocks.

The purpose of the work is to develop a better understanding of the current amount of carbon stored and how management activities could promote or reduce carbon storage in the future. The project can take advantage of extensive data gathered by the Canadian Forest Service, including historical maps of land use dating back to the 1950’s. The project will apply carbon budget models for forest stands to determine how forest composition and the presence of non-native earthworms influence soil carbon.

Anticipated work will include collecting samples from across 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, processing them for carbon analysis, and conducting some statistical analyses of the factors influencing carbon stocks. The successful candidate is encouraged to develop their research questions independently.

The successful candidate will enroll in the MSc program at Western University (Robert Buchkowski) and join the Research Affiliate Program at the Canadian Forest Service (Chris Edge).

Interested candidates are requested to send a letter of interest and CV to Robert Buchkowski (rbuchkow@uwo.ca) or Chris Edge (christopher.edge@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca).

The position is open until filled.

Anticipated Start Date: January 2024

We offer compensation equivalent to NSERG CGSM and a tuition waiver.

Qualifications:

A bachelor’s degree in forestry, biology, environmental studies, or equivalent.

Language Requirements:

English essential

Diversity Statement: Our team is committed to achieving inclusive excellence in research. We encourage applications from Indigenous persons, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons from 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community.