The Plant and Mycorrhizal Ecology Lab at the FU Berlin (Prof. Matthias C. Rillig) seeks a PhD student who will be involved in a project funded by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) and addressing the relative roles of neutral (demographic stochasticity with limited dispersal) and niche processes (competition with environmental heterogeneity) in structuring soil ecologicalnities. The study will address the structure of soil communities from a natural grassland at various spatial scales (from about one to thousands of meters). Aspects of the project will be: physical and chemical characterization of soil and assessment of microorganisms (molecular DNA based methods applied to the roots and the soil), and microarthropod (assessed morphologically) communities.
The candidate must hold a M. Sc. or equivalent (e.g. Diploma) in biology/ecology. Fluent written and spoken English and drivers licence are required. Background in community ecology, ecological statistics and molecular ecology and/or soil zoology are desirable.
Duration: 36 months
Salary: 65 % of a full position according to E 13 TV-L FU tariff
Applications must be sent not later than 28th February 2011 to:
Freie Universität Berlin
Institut für Biologie – Ökologie der Pflanzen
Dr. Tancredi Caruso
Altensteinstraße 6
14195 Berlin, Germany
Electronic applications are also welcome. For additional information, please email to:
