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Project Hypothesis or Objectives:
Little is known about how shifting small mammal populations in response to climate change will affect the bird species that they predate. Overall, this project is relying on historical sampling as well as field surveys and live and camera trapping to examine how red squirrel populations are shifting (or not) in the mountains of the northeastern U.S. The results of this work allow natural resource agencies to target efforts towards habitats and species of conservation concern. My near-term goal for an intern is to conduct a landscape genomics analysis - we already have the samples analyzed, and are looking for someone who knows (or would like to learn) how to conduct the bioinformatics and landscape analysis. The project, as part of the Northeast Climate Science Center, is driven by management concerns about the impacts of climate change on New England's boreal forests.
Duration: Up to 12 months
Internship Location: Amherst, MA
Field(s) of Study: Life Science, Natural resource conservation
Applicable NSF Division: IOS Integrative Organismal Systems, DEB Environmental Biology, EFMA Office of Emerging Frontiers and Multidisciplinary Activities
Intern Type Preference: NSF Graduate Research Fellow (GRF) via the Graduate Research Intern Program (GRIP)
Keywords: Geonmics, animal behavior, birds, climate change, conservation, ecology, field work, mammals, modeling, mountains, natural resource management, wildlife
Expected Outcome:
Short-term outcomes from the project will include a peer-reviewed journal article and a presentation to management stakeholders as well as the regional research community. In the longer term this work will build on a network of research that is looking at the impacts of climate change on the trailing edge of the boreal forest. Specifically for the intern, they will get an opportunity to develop not only lab, quantitative, and climate science knowledge and skills but also skills in knowledge coproduction, working with stakeholders, and building contacts in the research and management community.
Special skills/training Required:
The intern will be expected to be a team player and to work well with their supervisor and the rest of the research and management community. They will need to be organized and self-motivated. There might be some field work involved, though if that is not the intern’s strong suit that does not need to be a main focus. Skills in bioinformatics and/or ecological modeling are highly desired, as is experience with R. Expertise in GIS would be beneficial but not necessary.
Duties/Responsibilities:
As an intern at the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, you would be part of a 30+ graduate student/postdoctoral fellow interdisciplinary community that meets regularly and is provided a variety of capacity development opportunities. This includes being trained in techniques of knowledge coproduction and actionable science. You will be intellectually engaged in discussions of conservation genetics, wildlife/forest management, research design, and ecological modeling. There will be specific training in quantitative techniques including occupancy modeling, spatial capture-recapture methods, and GIS. In addition, you will have some opportunity to conduct fieldwork in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, depending on interest. You will gain knowledge of the boreal and subboreal forests of northern New England; gain skills in bioinformatics and conservation genomics; develop communication skills through daily rapport with direct supervisors, local natural resource personnel, and the general public; and likely co-author a peer-reviewed journal publication.
