17.02.2011

Ph.D. Student in the Plant Ecology Group

Fachbereich I: Biologie

In the Plant Ecology Group of the University of Tuebingen is from April 2011 on a vacancy as

Ph.D. Student

Effect of shared pollination on plant community structure –

a modeling approach

Many grassland plant species depend on generalist pollinators for reproduction. Therefore, their fitness depends not only on their own traits (e.g. attractiveness) but also on their neighbor's traits. Such indirect effects range from negative to positive, i.e. neighbor presence may decrease or increase the number of visiting pollinators. Because pollinators take decisions at different spatial scales, neighbor effects may also change with species density and spatial pattern.


As part of this project we are looking for an enthusiastic person who will use theoretical considerations as well as the accumulated data from several field works to create a simulation model which will help us understand the system further. The focus of the model will mainly be to study how pollination preferences and grassland initial composition change the outcome of pollination services at the individual and community levels. Although the focus of the work will be theoretical, the student is encouraged to use field measurements and experiments to supply information and validate the model. The position is part of a larger project that studies the effect of shared pollinators on plant community composition along productivity gradients using theoretical and empirical approaches.


Requirements: The candidate should have previous experience in modeling, preferably spatial explicit/grid based models. Analytical ability and high motivation for independent work are desirable. Team spirit is extremely important.
The project is expected to start in April 2011 and will be funded for 30 months.
For more information please contact <link mail ein fenster zum versenden der>Dr. Merav Seifan +49-7071-2978814.


Interested candidates are requested to send their application, outlining their motivation and suitability and a CV to Dr. Merav Seifan, Plant Ecology department, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, Tübingen University. <link mail ein fenster zum versenden der>merav.seifan[at]uni-tuebingen.de