For more details on this PhD studentship available this fall, please
contact:
Steve Albon, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Banchory, AB31 4BW,
Scotland (s.albon [at] ceh.ac.uk)
Sarah Woodin, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of
Aberdeen, Scotland (s.woodin [at] abdn.ac.uk)
PhD Studentship Available Now
MIGRATION OF CARIBOU IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC
Closing Date for applications is: 31 August 2001
The mechanisms responsible for migratory behaviour of large herbivores
may include: 1) forage availability and competition with other
herbivores, 2) predation by carnivores, 3) risk of parasitic infections.
In the Arctic, caribou have to contend with the problem that, for most
of the year, access to forage is restricted by snow and ice, while in
the summer because above-ground plant biomass is typically low, caribou
may trade-off forage quality for quantity. Thus migration may enhance
the exploitation of patches of forage that cannot be occupied year round
either because of restricted access in winter or risk of over-grazing.
Also, an additional benefit of migrating to seasonally available
pastures may be to reduce transmission of gastro-intestinal nematodes,
which depress body condition and fitness. Finally, in some situations,
for example, caribou wintering in the taiga forest and calving on the
tundra, migration may reduce the risk of predation by moving beyond the
feeding range of wolves concentrated close to denning sites at the
tree-line.
A three-year PhD studentship is available to investigate the influence
of forage quantity and quality, and risk of parasitism, on caribou
migrating in the autumn from Victoria Island, Nunavut, Canada (70ºN,
110ºW), and wintering on the mainland, in the vicinity of Bathurst
Inlet. The student will undertake field observations of feeding
behaviour of caribou on the autumn gathering grounds and winter ranges,
in order to relate diet selection to measures of plant species abundance
and quality. Counts of nematode eggs in caribou faeces will provide
indices of parasite burden calibrated against adult and larval nematode
worm counts in harvested caribou, and correlated to body condition.
Experiments to establish risk of parasitic infection will investigate
development from nematode eggs through free-living stages to infective
larvae in different plant communities in the autumn and winter ranges.
The project may also consider the impact of musk ox on both forage
availability and parasite transmission to caribou. Knowledge of these
interactions is crucial to understanding the mechanisms driving
migratory behaviour.
The studentship, funded by the Government of Nunavut, Canada, will start
as soon as possible in autumn 2001 and lead to a PhD from the University
of Aberdeen, Scotland. It will involve fieldwork in all seasons, except
November-February, and periods in Aberdeen, working within both the
University of Aberdeen Department of Plant and Soil Science and the
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Banchory. Candidates should have
either a good first degree or MSc in an ecological science. Candidates
must be physically fit, and able to work in arduous conditions in very
remote locations. Field experience in the Arctic would be an advantage.
The closing date for applications is 31 August 2001. Individuals who
responded to an earlier advert should not re-apply. For further details,
please contact:
Steve Albon, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Banchory, AB31 4BW,
Scotland (s.albon [at] ceh.ac.uk).
Sarah Woodin, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of
Aberdeen, Scotland (s.woodin [at] abdn.ac.uk)
FIELDWORK
The amount and exact timing of periods of fieldwork will be decided as
the project develops. However, we envisage that up to six months per
year may be spent on fieldwork. During July and August this will involve
studies of the feeding ecology of musk ox (potential competitors of
caribou), including observation of foraging behaviour, identification of
preferred plant species, and description of the plant communities
utilised. Additional study of habitat use will be made by dung counts.
During September and October when caribou overlap the range used by musk
ox, these activities will be undertaken for both species. Indices of
parasite abundance for both species will be assessed by counting
nematode eggs in faeces, and study of larval development including
overwinter survival. Winter fieldwork will involve observations of
caribou feeding on windswept ridges and cratering in soft snow pack.
The successful candidate will be involved in culls of animals to assess
condition and actual parasite burdens in the intestines.
FIELDWORK LOGISTICS
During summer (July-October), fieldwork will be undertaken from a field
camp (possibly tents), supported and provisioned from Cambridge Bay,
Victoria Island. Cambridge Bay will be up to half a days travel by quad
bike/snow scooter from the camp site. Daily communication from the field
camp will be by HF radio only; telephone/fax/email access are available
in Cambridge Bay. Shorter periods may be spent in field camp on the
mainland (Bathurst Inlet) during the winter (March/April). A research
assistant/buddy will be provided for safety and help in the field.
The applicant should have proven ability to work long hours in arduous
conditions in the field. They must be willing and able to drive a quad
bike and snowmobile, and happy to use a gun for personal safety.
LABORATORY WORK IN ABERDEEN (November-February, May-June)
This will involve processing of animal gut samples to quantify parasite
burden at a species level. There will also be basic chemical analysis of
plant material from the field studies of forage selection. The study has
access to satellite images of the region and daily information on the
location of satellite collared caribou. The opportunity thus exists to
exploit these data sources in a study of the distribution of caribou in
relation to habitat type over a much wider area and time frame.