The School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri is seeking a 12 month postdoctoral fellow to lead a project developing novel population models for dabbling ducks in North America to quantify mechanisms for population change in species of conservation concern, working collaboratively with Drs. Mitch Weegman (University of Missouri), Todd Arnold (University of Minnesota), Bob Clark (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Jim Devries and Dave Howerter (Ducks Unlimited Canada). Development of models that better inform habitat conservation efforts for northern pintail populations are of greatest research priority. Recent work utilizing banding data provides the basis for a spatially-explicit fecundity model for the Prairie Region (PR) of Canada and the US. Our objectives with this postdoctoral fellowship are to:
(1) Utilize the fecundity model and create an integrated population model (IPM) for pintails breeding in the PR that estimates annual variation (1961-2013) in population size, fecundity, juvenile and adult survival, and temporary emigration. (2) Use the IPM to test competing hypotheses about factors that have most strongly affected long-term population dynamics in the PR, including habitat availability, climatic conditions, and density dependence (pintails and all dabbling ducks combined). (3) Use banding data to estimate migrational connectivity between the Prairie Region (PR), Alaska (AK), and northern unsurveyed (NU) breeding populations and Gulf Coast (GC) and California (CA) wintering populations (i.e., linkages proposed by Mattsson et al. 2012, Ecol. Model.). (4) In collaboration with the broader waterfowl community, use results from the continent-wide IPM to produce an adaptable pintail management plan that prescribes “best” habitat given current harvest management at the continent-scale under realized and predicted environmental conditions. There are also other opportunities to collaborate on projects in movement and population ecology in the Weegman and Arnold labs. Minimum qualifications: Ph.D. in statistics, wildlife ecology or closely related field Skills in Program R Demonstrated excellence in verbal and written communication Ability to work independently and as part of a research team Preferred qualifications: Skills in JAGS, MARK Experience forming and running Bayesian integrated population models Knowledge and experience in avian ecology Salary and benefits: Approximately $50,000 per year and benefits Start date: February 2018 Last date to apply: January 15, 2018 To be considered for this position, please send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research statement and contact information for three references to Dr. Mitch Weegman ([email protected]).
