The boreal forests in Norway are important contributors to the national C accounting and, hence, play a role in our future climate mitigation policy. At present, the effects of forestry on ecosystem function and overall C stocks, including forest soil, are insufficiently known. These master projects will assess how large-scale transformation (i.e. clear cutting) of boreal spruce forests affect genetic diversity of a wood decay fungus or an insect living in fungi.
What you will learn:
The students will learn methods in fieldwork, molecular biology, bioinformatics and statistics, in the fields of organismal biology, ecology and evolutionary biology.
The master students will be involved in a large-scale sampling effort during the summer and fall. For the fungal project, the candidate will further analyze the collected material using culturing methods, extracting DNA and applying full genome sequencing of the cultures and finally use population genomic analyses combined with statistical analyses. The insect project will extract DNA directly from the insect, and then apply a restriction site-associated DNA sequencing approach (RADseq) and finally use population genomic analyses combined with statistical analyses.
What we offer:
The students will be part of a team of PhD students, post docs and staff from UIO, NMBU, NIBIO, NINA, the forest industry and NGOs (Sabima, WWF), through the large RCN funded project “Forestry effects on biodiversity, carbon stocks and ecological processes in mature boreal forests”.
Supervisors:
The candidates will be supervised by Inger Skrede, Sundy Maurice, and H?vard Kauserud.