The Fynbos Node of the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) aims to understand the drivers of global change and their impacts in order to inform policy and practice for a sustainable future in the Fynbos biome. The SAEON Fynbos Node, in collaboration with the University of Cape Town, would like to further this aim by inviting applications from students and graduates for the following bursary:
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Background:
Global changes in atmospheric CO
2
concentrations and climate are affecting all levels of biodiversity in a number of ways. Predictions for the Western Cape are that temperatures will increase, while rainfall will become more seasonal, resulting in stronger summer drought and greater hydraulic stress in plants. Increased CO
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concentrations, on the other hand, are expected to relieve hydraulic stress in plants that utilize the C
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pathway for photosynthesis
(most fynbos species), by reducing the amount of time they have to keep their stomata open to take up the CO
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they require. It is crucial that we better understand the relative impact of CO
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versus changing climate on hydraulic stress in fynbos plants to inform our expectations for future changes in fynbos composition and resultant ecosystem function.
This project aims to determine the extent to which changing climate and CO
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concentrations are affecting hydraulic stress in Protea repens, a common fynbos species. This will be done by examining xylem vessel anatomy and other traits associated with plant water relations in populations of P. repens along an elevational rainfall gradient in the
Jonkershoek valley, and along the rainfall seasonality gradient between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. These results will be compared with an existing dataset collected from the same sites in 1992. Trait measurements for this study will form part of a record for long term determination of the effects of changing climate and increasing CO
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on plant hydraulic physiology.
The trait surveys will be complemented by a common garden experiment where individuals were grown from seed collected from the different populations to explore if variation is phenotypic (i.e. plastic in response to the environment) or genotypic (i.e. genetically hard wired) along the gradient.
Application process:
Applications should include a letter of motivation indicating your relevant skills and interests and why you should be considered for a bursary, your CV, and copies of your identity document and academic transcript. Applicants must be registered for or intend registering for an MSc at the University of Cape Town starting in 2013.
Successful applicants will be expected to sign a data sharing agreement with SAEON, provide regular reports on progress and participate in SAEON activities.
MSc Bursary: R75 000.00 per annum renewable for a maximum of two years subject to satisfactory performance.
Requirements:
Applicants must qualify for admittance to the Botany Department, University of Cape Town.
Applicants should be South African.
Queries and applications should be sent to Dr Jasper Slingsby, jasper@saeon.ac.za
, and Dr Ed February, edmund.february@uct.ac.za
. Closing date: 30 November 2012. www.saeon.ac.za
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