[APES Jobs] Field Assistants (Intern) for Biodiversity theory and termite study in KNP

[Bursaries, Employment and Career Opportunities in Environmental Fields]

Seeking field assistants (intern) for biodiversity theory and termite study in KNP
>From mid January to the beginning of May.  Field work will include termite collection/identification and vegetation/soil sampling.  Lodging in the park, food, and a modest stipend will be provided.  Field assistants will be able to pursue an independent study parallel to the project if there is an interest.

Applicants should be enthusiastic about research and work well with others.  Please send a copy of your resume and a reference letter to brianna.lind at sdstate.edu if you are interested.

Project Summary:
Biodiversity is critical to ecosystem function and ecological sustainability, and biodiversity protection is a primary management objective for conservation areas worldwide and National Parks in South Africa. However, the mechanisms producing and maintaining biodiversity remain poorly understood and are hotly debated in the ecological literature. We aim to evaluate the merits of two proposed alternative mechanisms promoting biodiversity through examination of termite diversity patterns in semi-arid Kruger National Park. The alternative diversity hypotheses we will test are (i) the productivity diversity hypothesis (PDH) and (ii) the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH).  We will address how termite community structure (species richness, abundance, and composition) and termite activity (intensity and frequency of attack) respond to changes in productivity and disturbance regime (fire and herbivory) in a savanna landscape. We will sample termite community composition during the rainy season within EBPs and herbivore exclosures across a range of fire frequencies and herbivore intensities in the 4 distinct savanna types of the KNP.  This study will lead to an enhanced understanding of biodiversity mechanisms, termite response to productivity and disturbance gradients, and savanna heterogeneity.


Kind Regards

Tammy Van Tonder
Senior Secretary
School of Animal, Plants & Environmental Sciences
University of the Witwatersrand
(011) 717 6403


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