I am looking for a student who is interested in PhD studies in community ecology and foraging ecology starting either October 2011 or March 2012. Full support (with no teaching obligations) is available for 4 years. Research topics are at the discretion of the student.
My research interests are in the community ecology of desert rodents, predator-prey foraging games, and behavioral indicators in conservation biology
The focus of my current research includes how macro-evolutionary trends–in the way of compromise-breaking adaptation– shape micro-ecological interactions–in the way of foraging behavior and species interactions. I am also researching the physiological basis of trade-offs of food and safety in gerbils.
My students do research on a wide range of topics in evolutionary ecology, including predator facilitation among owls, foxes, and snakes; daring behavior in predators; sight lines and vigilance behavior in ibex; disease ecology and Leishmania; foraging games between gerbils and owls; behavioral indicators in Mountain Nyala in Ethiopia.
My laboratory is located in the Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology of Ben-Gurion University in Sede Boker, Israel. Interested students should contact me via email at kotler@bgu.ac.il. Please include CV, a short statement of research interests, unofficial transcripts, and a letter of recommendation.
Burt P. Kotler
Professor
Editor-in Chief: Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution
http://www.israelsciencejournals.com
Subject editor: Ecology; Ecological Monographs; Annales Zoologica Fennici
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology