Dear Ecologers Fauna Forever, a non-profit organization leading projects in the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon since 1997, is looking for field research interns to assist its international team of conservation biologists, botanists, science photographers, geographers, and educators with numerous field research projects (biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate change), natural resource management planning, native community development, green business development, and global outreach initiatives.
At present we are particularly keen on identifying interns (students or recent graduates) who would like to assist us with Neotropical herpetology (amphibian and reptile), ornithology, botany, science photography, and community-based natural resource management projects for periods of between one to three months, starting any time after 1st March 2017. In addition, for those students looking to undertake an independent research project, perhaps as part of their thesis or dissertation requirements, we have identified a series of studies the results of which would contribute to our work (please find the list of studies below). Expert training in field study methods and post- doctoral-level supervision of projects is provided by our team. Note: Due to the limited nature of our central funds, successful intern applicants will need to cover their in-country costs associated with food, accommodation, local transport, training and supervision, wifi access, equipment use, etc. in Puerto Maldonado (our base-camp city) and at field sites. A 6-week stay for instance would cost around US$3,000 (US$71 per day). We strongly encourage data collected by student interns to be published in peer-reviewed journals. All field assistants are also acknowledged in our own publications. A knowledge of Spanish is not required, as all of our staff speak English. Energy, enthusiasm, attention to detail, and working well as part of a diverse, international team, is a must! DISSERTATION-TYPE RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Mammals • To what extent does primate group size and home-range size vary with forest type and fruit resource composition and availability in Amazonian Peru? • How and why does the relative abundance of rodents (like agoutis, pacas and squirrels) vary within and between forest sites in Amazonian Peru, based on seed removal experiments? • How does ecotourism, Brazil nut extraction, timber extraction, and/or bush- meat hunting by local communities affect the diversity, abundance and activity patterns of mammals in Amazonian Peru? • How habituated to the presence of humans are mammal species at increasing distances from ecotourist lodges, research stations, and rural villages in Amazonian Peru? • How does the geophagy (clay-eating) activity patterns in rainforest mammals vary from place to place in Amazonian Peru, based on camera-trap methods and direct observations? Birds • How do the characteristics (species composition, abundance, home-range size) of mixed-species bird flocks differ between forest types in Amazonian Peru? • How does the abundance of oropendola, cacique, macaw, parrot and other flocking bird species differ as the distance from human settlements increases in Amazonian Peru? • How does the diversity and abundance of nocturnal raptors (family Strigidae), based on transect and call-count station sampling methods, differ between sites in Amazonian Peru? • How does the flower-visitation rate of hummingbirds vary between flowering plant and bird species, and between forest types (areas of differing forest structure and floristics) in Amazonian Peru? • How does the species and colony size of army ants (e.g. Eciton sp.) affect the community of insectivorous birds that follow army ant swarms? Herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) • How does the abundance of Dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus sp.) vary between forest streams and main river channels in Amazonian Peru, and what stream/river characteristics help explain any difference observed? • How and why does the mean size and weight of amphibian and reptile species differ within and between sites in Amazonian Peru? • How does forest structure and light gap characteristics affect the diversity, abundance and behavior of lizards in Amazonian Peru? • How does the size and position of temporary ponds made from natural and artificial materials affect the amphibian species that use them? • What is the herpetological conservation value of Brazil-nut midden piles in Amazonian Peru? Invertebrates • Is there a relationship between dung-beetle biomass and mammal biomass in Amazonian Peru? • How abundant are phoretic mites on dung-beetles in Amazonian Peru, and what factors affect this abundance? • What is the “perfect” bait mixture for attracting the most diverse assemblage of butterflies to Van Someron-Rydon-type live traps in Amazonian Peru? • How diverse is the insect community (with an emphasis on a particular Order, like beetles) that inhabits Guadua bamboo thickets as compared with neighboring forest types (without bamboo) in Amazonian Peru? • How does the community of microscopic animals and plants found in temporary water bodies (such as those found in bromeliads, tree trunks, the holes left by fallen trees) vary across sites in Amazonian Peru? Microscopy equipment is available on site Botany and Carbon • What tree seedlings regenerate naturally in the forest gaps made during the process of selective harvesting of tropical timber trees in Amazonian Peru, and is there a relationship to the extracted tree species? • How does the productivity of trees differ between forest types, as measured by biomass of falling leaves, fruit, and flowers in Amazonian Peru? • What is the relationship between the abundance of key-stone fruiting tree species and the abundance of fruit-eating mammal and bird species in Amazonian Peru? • How does the size distribution of big trees like Dipteryx, Brazil nut, Ceiba, and Fig trees differ between forest plots in conservation areas, as compared to timber concessions and close to local communities in Amazonian Peru? • What is the soil carbon content in seasonally flooded palm swamps and how does it compare to the soil carbon in terra firme forest types in Amazonian Peru? • How does the estimated above ground carbon content of trees in 0.05-ha plots vary across a gradient from seasonally-flooded forest to non-flooding terra firme forest in Amazonian Peru? For more information, to request an application form, and to send us your CV/Resume, please contact us at [email protected] Applications can also be made via our institutional Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/notes/fauna-forever/application-form-volunteers-and- interns/1041868142502124). Many thanks! Dr. Chris Kirkby Managing Director and Principal Investigator Fauna Forever Avenida Aeropuerto Km 1 Puerto Maldonado Madre de Dios PERU [email protected], [email protected]
