Two graduate student assistantships are available: one at Virginia Tech in Entomology and one at the University of Arkansas in Biology. The project is to understand how widespread salinization of soils and freshwater threatens biota, ecosystem processes and riparian-stream linkages. Disconnected studies of intimately connected ecosystems can lead to a fundamental misunderstanding of salinization in the environment. This project will quantify how NaCl inputs to riparian zones and streams interact to alter decomposition and production in both terrestrial riparia and aquatic stream ecosystems using experimentally paired riparian-stream mesocosms, a field decomposition study across a sodium gradient, and crowd-sourced k-12 teacher data through the collaboration of terrestrial and aquatic researchers.

Project objectives:

Measure and quantify field terrestrial-stream relationships using a decomposition study that concurrently measures soil and stream chemistry across a large salinization gradient.

Experimentally determine how soil salinization impacts terrestrial-aquatic C exchange across a gradient of salinization in novel paired terrestrial riparian-stream mesocosms.

Quantify the field-mesocosm relationship to determine the congruence of experimental mesocosm- and field measured decomposition rates across a salinity gradient. PIs Include: Natalie Clay (UA), Michelle Evans-White (UA), Sally Entrekin (VT), and Tara Muenz (Citizen Science Co-Ordinator, Stroud Water Center).

Benefits 

Salary: $32,000 USD per yr for 3 yrs

Additional years of funding, if needed, will be supported by student fellowships, teaching assistantships, and/or other lab-funded projects

Primarily advised by either Dr. Entrekin (VT) or Dr. Evans-White (UA), but collaborate and mentored by all PIs. 

How to apply 

Please contact us : Sally (sallye@vt.edu) and Michelle with a statement of interest and Academic CV. We will review applications in mid-November with the goal of filling the position in January 2025.