The spatial and demographic relationships between the populations of predators and prey can be largely determined by the presence of alternative prey species in the system. This PhD project will evaluate indirect interactions between alternative prey through their common predators, an indirect interaction referred to as apparent competition. This information has strong conservation implications, as apparent competition is often the proximal cause of population declines in threatened boreal caribou. Field data will include observations from aerial surveys and GPS-tracking of boreal caribou, wood bison, moose, wolves and black bears.
Qualifications: Hold an MSc in terrestrial ecology or a related field. Be familiar with the use of Geographic Information Systems and R programming, and have a strong interest in statistics and quantitative ecology. Universit Laval is a French university, and the student should learn French within the first two years.
A scholarship of 21,000$/year is available for 3 years. Small scholarships from U. Laval will be added to this amount. Students admissible for NSERC and FRQNT fellowships will be favored.
Documents to provide by email: Applicants for this position should forward a short cover letter indicating their motivation, accompanied by a current CV, unofficial transcripts and contact information of three references to: Daniel Fortin (Daniel.Fortin@bio.ulaval.ca). We will start reviewing the applications on 21 October 2023.
Daniel Fortin
Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec (Qc) G1V 0A6, Canada
Email: Daniel.Fortin@bio.ulaval.ca
