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The Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit enhances graduate education in fisheries and wildlife sciences, and facilitates research among cooperators and partners including Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the U. S. Geological Survey, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wildlife Management Institute. Research conducted by the Unit involves graduate and post-doctoral education and technical assistance to our Cooperators to understand and manage fish and wildlife resources in Colorado and elsewhere. General areas of emphasis include aquatic ecology and fish biology, population and community monitoring and modeling, the analysis of animal movement and spatio-temporal ecological processes, and disease ecology and epidemiology.

| Recently, gray wolves (Canis lupus) are beginning to recover in northern Colorado through natural recolonization and voter-mandated reintroduction led by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). The recovery of wolves may alter Colorado’s ecological communities in several ways. Wolf impacts on prey populations can be both direct (i.e., predation) and indirect (i.e., behavioral responses). If these prey impacts are great enough, changes in plant communities may follow. In addition to herbivore pressure, plant communities are impacted by many factors such as changing precipitation patterns, drought, disease, management history, and wildfire. How these factors impact winter browse species is especially important for elk and mule deer survival. These dynamics play out on the scale of decades, requiring long-term research to understand how these factors influence plant communities.

Our goal is to design an observational research study aimed at untangling the impacts of wolves and mountain lions on aspen and mountain shrub growth and recruitment; mechanistically, this would occur via changes in elk and mule deer browsing pressures in response to predators. More specifically, we aim to measure plant growth, browsing pressure, and recruitment on a variety of important winter forage species while controlling for abiotic, anthropogenic, and historical factors (e.g., slope, soil moisture, hunting pressure, management, fire history), and examining the influence of predator-related factors (e.g., wolf and mountain lion risk). This project will support a postdoctoral researcher to help in study design development in two phases.

Phase 1: Sample size determination and site selection Sample size determination and site selection are the most critical components of study design and must occur prior to formal sampling. This will require model simulations that capture the complexity of the study system. Briefly, probable data sets will need to be generated for all variables of interest. This will require a literature review and potentially ground-truthing in Colorado. Then, simulations will be performed in order to identify the number of samples necessary to detect effects of predators, if they occur, under various scenarios (e.g., browsing pressure and timing, environmental variation, number of sample sites, and predator effects on browsers). Additionally, this exercise will help identify constraints on site selection and possible tradeoffs on variables that can and cannot be controlled for. At the end of this phase, we should have geospatial boundaries around areas of land in Colorado where a determined number of sites could be randomly selected across important strata (e.g., wildfire recency).

Phase 2: Site validation and manuscript preparation We know that geospatial land cover data may not accurately represent a site. Therefore, site locations will be proposed (under the constraints determined in Phase 1), and must be validated. This will involve visiting sites to ensure they meet study criteria. The postdoctoral researcher may perform some of the site visits, or otherwise help advise CPW staff in performing site visits. The final products of this project will be 1) a scientific manuscript submitted for peer-review and publication, and 2) geospatial information on potential long-term study sites in Colorado. The goal of this manuscript is to provide a guide to ecologists for best practices in designing long-term observational studies to study community effects from changing predator populations. This research study will be used as a case study in the manuscript.

Reflecting departmental and institutional values, candidates are expected to have the ability to advance the Department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

To apply, please upload a cover letter that addresses the required and preferred job qualifications, a resume, and the contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates.

CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.

Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 101 Student Services.

The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715, titleix@colostate.edu.

The Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, oeo@colostate.edu.

The Coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, oeo@colostate.edu.

Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education.

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.