[Job] Full-time Internship (May to Aug 2018): Ecosystem Services in Urban Landscapes with Future Cities Laboratory, Singapore-ETH Centre

We are looking for a full-time intern to assist with field data collection and management for the ecological component of the Ecosystem Services in Urban Landscapes project from May to August 2018.

Project description

The Ecosystem Services in Urban Landscapes research project brings together a team of ecologists, environmental modellers, planners, and landscape architects, to investigate how different types of vegetation can be used to make cites safer and more comfortable for their residents. A core part of the project will be a large-scale field survey of vegetation in Singapore, that quantifies ecosystem service provision.

The work will involve setting up and maintaining a network of environmental monitoring equipment, including temperature sensors. Field surveys will be conducted to collect data on vegetation, soil functions, public perception on birds and urban greenery, canopy interception as well as other ecosystem services to examine ecological and physical processes. In addition to the intensive field surveys and laboratory work, the intern will also assist with data entry and management, and literature review.

Main responsibilities and duties

• Field sampling of ecological and physical processes, including soil functions and canopy interception.
• Field sampling and mapping of ecological communities including vegetation and birds.
• Conducting surveys to study public perception on birds and urban greenery.
• Maintaining environmental monitoring equipment at locations across Singapore.
• Data entry and management, literature review and storing field data in a GIS framework.

Training and guidance will be provided.

Requirements

 The candidate should have / be

• A current undergraduate, preferably in Life Sciences or Environmental Sciences, or related fields.
• Able to work outdoors for extended periods of time.
• Meticulous, responsible, communicative and able to work independently.
• Keen interest in nature, environment and scientific research.
• Willingness to learn new skills.
• Able to commit to a minimum of two months period.

Desirable skills but absence is not a preclusion

• Experience in ecological fieldwork and data collection
• Prior exposure to GIS software and statistical analyses (ArcMap, QGIS, R etc).

Work location: 1 Create Way, CREATE Tower, Singapore 138602 (NUS University Town)

Duration: Full-time internship position for 2 – 3 months between May to August 2018

To apply/for more information, Interested applicants should submit a CV, highlighting relevant experiences and skills, a personal statement explaining why they are interested in this position, and availability period to Fung Tze Kwan at tze.fung@arch.ethz.ch. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.

The Singapore-ETH-Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.

About Singapore-ETH Centre

The Singapore-ETH Centre was established as a joint initiative between ETH Zurich – the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF), as part of the NRF’s CREATE campus. The centre serves as an intellectual hub for research, scholarship, entrepreneurship, postgraduate and postdoctoral training.

The centre currently runs two research programmes, the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL), followed by Future Resilient Systems (FRS). It is home to a community of over 100 PhD, postdoctoral and Professorial researchers working on diverse themes related to sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure systems. In the course of their work, researchers actively collaborate with universities, research institutes, industry, and government agencies with the aim of offering practical solutions.

Job: Junior Research Assistant: Ecosystem Services in Urban Landscapes Future Cities Laboratory, Singapore-ETH Centre

The Ecosystem Services in Urban Landscapes research project brings together a team of ecologists, environmental modellers, planners, and landscape architects, to investigate how different types of vegetation can be used to make cites safer and more comfortable for their residents. A core part of the project will be a large-scale field survey of vegetation in Singapore, that quantifies ecosystem service provision.

We are looking for a Junior Research Assistant to assist with and contribute to the ecological component of this project. The work will involve setting up and maintaining a network of environmental monitoring equipment, including temperature sensors. Field surveys will be conducted to collect data on vegetation, soil functions, public perception on birds and urban greenery, canopy interception as well as other ecosystem services to examine ecological and physical processes.

In addition to the intensive field surveys and laboratory work, the Junior Research Assistant will assist with data entry and management, literature review, analysis of the resulting data using geographic information systems and statistical analyses, and contribute to writing publications.

Key responsibilities

Main tasks include

• Setting-up and maintaining environmental monitoring equipment at locations across Singapore.
• Field sampling and mapping of ecological communities including vegetation and birds.
• Field sampling of ecological and physical processes, including soil functions and canopy interception.
• Conducting surveys to study public perception on birds and urban greenery.
• Data entry and management, literature review and storing field data in a GIS framework.
• Analysis of field data and assisting with publication writing.

Key Skills

The candidate should have / be

• BSc, preferably with Honours, in Life Sciences or Environmental Sciences, or related fields.
• Experience in ecological fieldwork and data collection.
• Prior exposure to GIS software and statistical analyses (ArcMap, QGIS, R etc).
• Keen interest in nature, environment and scientific research.
• Able to work outdoors for extended periods of time.
• Meticulous, responsible and able to work independently.
• Fluent in both written and spoken English.

Work location: 1 Create Way, CREATE Tower, Singapore 138602 (NUS University Town)

 Duration: Full-time position for ten months until 31 Dec 2018

To apply/for more information, Interested applicants should submit a CV, highlighting relevant experiences and skills, a cover letter explaining why they are interested in this position, and contacts of two character referees to Fung Tze Kwan at tze.fung@arch.ethz.ch. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.

The Singapore-ETH-Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.

About Singapore-ETH Centre

The Singapore-ETH Centre was established as a joint initiative between ETH Zurich – the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF), as part of the NRF’s CREATE campus. The centre serves as an intellectual hub for research, scholarship, entrepreneurship, postgraduate and postdoctoral training.

The centre currently runs two research programmes, the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL), followed by Future Resilient Systems (FRS). It is home to a community of over 100 PhD, postdoctoral and Professorial researchers working on diverse themes related to sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure systems. In the course of their work, researchers actively collaborate with universities, research institutes, industry, and government agencies with the aim of offering practical solutions.

Tue 27 Feb 2018: 3.00pm @ NUS SR1 [S-04] – Lim Jun Ying on “Oceanic islands as time machines: Understanding the drivers of species diversity over time using the Hawaiian islands

Abstract:

The geologic and climatic dynamism of the landscape can drive the pace of speciation and extinction of the organisms that occupy it. However, regional abiotic histories are often complex, making the study of how they have shaped the species diversity of mainland biotas challenging! Oceanic islands, however, offer extraordinary opportunities for unravelling the nature of diversity dynamics. Volcanic hotspot archipelagoes like the Hawaiian islands are sequentially formed, effectively providing multiple temporal snapshots of diversity. Furthermore, each island has a tractable and relatively predictable geologic trajectory, which allows us to characterize the role of landscape dynamism on species diversification. Here, using a novel geologically-informed diversification model of the relationship between species richness and changing island area, we infer how species richness of various endemic plant and animal clades have changed over their macroevolutionary history. The results suggest that landscape dynamism can drive the evolutionary dynamics of clades over large temporal scales, including long-term and ongoing evolutionary decline.

Speaker:

Lim Junying is a PhD candidate at UC Berkeley. His research lies at the intersection between macroevolutionary dynamics, niche evolution, community ecology and biogeography. He is especially interested in how large scale geologic and climatic dynamism has shaped the spatial and temporal variation in Earth’s biota up to the present day, and how ecological and evolutionary processes may play out in an era of global climate change.

Date & Time: 27 Feb (Tue) 3pm

Venue: NUS Block S2 Level 4 Seminar Room 1

Thu 01 Feb 2018: 3.00pm [PhD Defense] – Francesca Louise Mcgrath on “How payments for ecosystem services impact social equity”

PhD Defense Seminar cum Oral Examination
Department of Biological Sciences, NUS

How payments for ecosystem services impact social equity

Speaker:      Francesca Louise Mcgrath (Graduate Student Dept.of Biological Sciences, NUS)
Date:           1 Feb 2018, Thursday
Time:           3pm
Venue:        DBS Conference Room 1
Supervisor: Asst Prof Carrasco T L Roman

Abstract –  “Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes have become an attractive and widely used instrument for environmental conservation. Ensuring that PES schemes are equitable, fair and just for all involved is of growing interest in the PES literature and to practitioners. In my PhD, I identify the mechanisms (social, spatial, institutional) that can negatively influence equity outcomes and propose ways to overcome them. Each of my PhD chapters broadly discusses either in part of fully, four key areas related to equity namely: 1. how participants are engaged, 2. information dissemination, 3. social impacts and 4. potential trade-offs.

My first chapter investigates the relationship between scheme characteristics and equity outcomes, found within real-life case studies. In my second chapter, using a well-established PES scheme in Sumberjaya, Indonesia, I explore the relationship between farmer characteristics and their perceived auction fairness/satisfaction and impacts on the community social dynamics. My third and fourth chapters use a longstanding PES scheme in Cidanau, Indonesia, as a case study. In this third chapter I explore the differences in social capital between participants and non-participants. While In my fourth chapter, I investigate the implications of spatially targeting PES participants based on equity, understanding, perceptions, and compliance. The results from this thesis can help academics, PES proponents and organizers understand the complex relationships between PES and equity.”

All are welcome

Thu 25 Jan 2018: 10.00am [Phd Defense] – Seshadri Kadaba Shamanna on “Discovery, parental care and conservation of frogs in the Western Ghats of India”

PhD Defense Seminar cum Oral Examination
Department of Biological Sciences, NUS

“Discovery, parental care and conservation of frogs in the Western Ghats of India”

Speaker:            Seshadri Kadaba Shamanna  (Graduate Student, Dept. of Biological Sciences, NUS)
Date:                  25 Jan 2018, Thursday
Time:                  10am
Venue:               DBS Conference room  (S3 Level 5, #05-02)
Supervisor:        Asst. Prof. Frank E. Rheindt

Abstract –  Amphibians are a diverse group of vertebrates that are relatively understudied with nearly 30% of them being discovered only in the last decade. Globally, a third of all amphibians are already threatened with extinction and the need to rigorously document their natural history and ecology is imperative. Thus, my thesis is focused on bridging our knowledge gaps about frogs. It was undertaken in the Western Ghats of India, a renowned biodiversity hotspot where amphibians are underrepresented in research.

Specifically, I report the discovery of two hitherto undescribed species belonging to two families and reappraise the descriptions of three other extant frogs. I then document a novel behaviour in two species wherein the adult frogs of Raorchestes ochlandrae and Raorchestes aff. chalazodes (Rhachophoridae) enter bamboo stalks via narrow openings and lay direct developing eggs and provide parental care to developing embryos inside the bamboo internodes. This behaviour is unique among all extant anurans and is described as a novel reproductive mode.

Subsequently, I focused on the behaviour of R. aff. chalazodes and to do so, required an effective tool for which, I undertook a mini-review of methods used to study animals dwelling in cavities. This enabled me to choose endoscopes to study the behaviour of R. aff chalazodes.

I then established the evolutionary significance of parental care behaviour in R. aff chalazodes using insitu adult removal experiments and found that conspecific males cannibalized unattended eggs. Unattended eggs were also eaten by ants, parasitized by flies, and died from fungal infections or drowned. Thus, male parental care behaviour in form of egg attendance, egg guarding and, oviposition site defence increases offspring survivorship.

With an ultimate goal of conserving R. aff chalazodes, I predicted the potential geographic distribution using species distribution modelling. Finally, my contributions are summarized in the context of existing knowledge about diversity and reproductive ecology of amphibians to identify avenues for further research.

All are welcome

Wed 17 Jan 2018: 4.00pm [PhD defence] – Bilgenur Baloglu on “Biological assessment and monitoring of Singapore’s aquatic environments using NGS tools”

PhD Defense Seminar cum Oral Examination
Department of Biological Sciences, NUS

Biological assessment and monitoring of Singapore’s aquatic environments using NGS tools

Speaker:       Bilgenur Baloglu (Graduate Student, Dept. of Biological Sciences, NUS)
Date:             17 Jan 2018, Wednesday  
Time:             4pm
Venue:           DBS Conference Room
Supervisor:    Prof Meier Rudolf

Abstract –  “Non-biting midges (Chironomidae: Diptera) are an important component of freshwater ecosystems. However, most freshwater quality assessment or conservation biology studies rarely incorporate species-level information on midges. This is because traditional methods for sorting and identifying midges are too expensive. Here, I optimize, test, and use a new DNA barcoding technique that is based on Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). I use “NGS barcodes” for >30,000 individual specimens to demonstrate how NGS barcodes can improve analyzing the community structure of specimen- and species-rich invertebrate taxa.

I first demonstrate that the midge fauna of a reservoir can be characterized by barcoding 500–1000 specimens. I recommend that biomonitoring programs could cheaply gather data with only a small number of NGS-barcoded specimens or metabarcoded bulk samples. Next, I show how a new sequencing technique (MinION™) can be used for obtaining NGS barcodes within 24 hours. I estimate that a single run of MinION^TM can generate >100 barcodes and conclude that an estimate of species composition can be obtained 10 hours since sample handling. Lastly, I reveal that Singapore’s biggest swamp forest remnant (Nee Soon Swamp Forest) maintains a rich and largely unique fauna (>400 chironomid species) that is resistant against the invasion of species from surrounding artificial reservoirs. I show that the chironomid occurrence in the swamp forest is associated with several physicochemical variables, such as pH, stream depth, and conductivity rather than the presence of or distance to the reservoirs.

This study suggests that even fragmented or small swamp forests, like the Nee Soon Swamp Forest, can be suitable habitats for a rich and likely native chironomid community. I expect that the results of this study will promote further studies on the use of NGS barcoding of chironomid communities for characterizing and conserving the threatened Southeast Asian swamp forests. Overall, these studies expose the enormous power of NGS barcoding in ecological research, to study ecosystem health, biological diversity, and habitat conservation.”

All are welcome

Tue 16 Jan 2018: 10.00am [PhD Defense] – Nathaniel Ng on “The influence of Pleistocene climate change on patterns of gene flow in the avifauna of Wallacea”

PhD Defense Seminar cum Oral Examination
Department of Biological Sciences, NUS

The influence of Pleistocene climate change on patterns of gene flow in the avifauna of Wallacea

Speaker:     Ng Shengrong, Nathaniel (Graduate Student, Dept. of Biological Sciences, NUS)
Date:          16 Jan 2018, Tuesday
Time:          10am
Venue:       DBS Conference Room
Supervisor: Asst Prof Rheindt Frank Erwin

 

Abstract –  “Wallacea is both highly biodiverse and poorly explored, with many undiscovered taxa as yet unknown to science. A main driver of the region’s biodiversity is thought to be repeated fluctuations in sea level, the result of cyclical glaciation events (“ice ages”) that have occurred throughout the Pleistocene.

In my thesis, I examine species limits and patterns of diversification in Wallacean birds using a range of different methodologies including genome-wide analyses, morphological examination, and bioacoustic techniques. In particular, I investigate how Pleistocene sea level changes may have driven divergence and speciation in these birds. I identify several evolutionarily-distinct bird taxa unknown to science, two of which I describe. Investigations into the effect of Pleistocene land bridges show that their relative significance varies depending on the life histories and habits of each bird taxon, and emphasize the importance of dispersal over vicariance in driving recent diversification in Wallacean birds.”

All are welcome

Undergraduate part-time assistants (NSWS) wanted for mesocosm experiments with aquatic plants (Jan–Sep 2018)

We are looking for undergraduate part-time assistants under the NUS Student Work Scheme (NSWS) to help out with mesocosm experiments involving aquatic plants from January 2018 to September 2018.

Project description: Restoration of reservoir water using aquatic plants in mesocosm experiments

What you will learn

1. Identification and collection of aquatic plants for experimental work
2. Collection of growth and other relevant plant data as part of routine sampling of outdoor experiments in the reservoir
3. Monitoring of water quality parameters using multimeter probes
4. Methodology for chlorophyll-a analysis of reservoir water
5. Fish trapping and macroinvertebrate sampling
6. Identification and counting of freshwater phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish
7. Learn more about Singapore’s freshwater fauna and aquatic ecology in general

Candidates should be:

1. Able to work during term time and during the semester break
2. Physically fit and able to work outdoors for extended periods of time
3. Willing to learn new techniques

Non-biology majors are welcome to apply

Contact

Please contact Dr. Maxine Mowe, Post-doctoral research fellow, Freshwater and Invasion Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore at dbsmadm@nus.edu.sg.

Fri 08 Dec 2017: 10.00am [PhD Defense] – Cilingir Fatma Gozde on “Bridging in situ and ex situ conservation with genomics and stakeholder management”

PhD Defense Seminar cum Oral Examination

Bridging in situ and ex situ conservation with genomics and stakeholder management: case studies of the Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis) and the Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata)

Speaker:     Cilingir Fatma Gozde  (Graduate Student Dept.of Biological Sciences, NUS)
Date:           8 December 2017, Friday
Time:           10am
Venue:         Seminar Room 1 (S2 Level 4 #04-14)
Supervisor: Asst Prof Rheindt, Frank E

Abstract –  Turtles are one of the most endangered vertebrates suffering from the effects of human-caused extinction wave currently underway. Batagur affinis and Batagur trivittata are among the World’s 25 most endangered freshwater turtle species. The major portion of B. affinis is currently found in the Peninsular Malaysia. The only remnant Indochinese population was found in Southern Cambodia. For more than a decade the wild eggs were collected from this population and were reared in captivity. I amplified 10 microsatellite markers, obtained >2000 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) via Double Digest Restriction Associated DNA Sequencing (ddRAD-seq) and amplified two mtDNA markers aiming to determine genetic structure and diversity of this population, estimate the number of active wild breeders, to compare the performance of the traditional and the genomic markers regarding these aims.

My results showed that Indochinese portion of the species comprises of only 4 kinship groups as of 2012, and the entire offspring were sired from <10 individuals in the wild. I demonstrated an obvious decrease in genetic contributions of the breeders in the wild from 2006-2012, identified high-value breeders with the outperformance of the genomic markers against the traditional ones and genetically managed the contemporary genetic stock of the species. Unlike B. affinis, only one wild population of B. trivittata remains in Myanmar. I sampled ~40% of the turtles’ remaining global population, applied ddRAD-Seq, and obtained ~1500 SNPs. Individuals fell into 5 distinct genetic clusters, four of which represented full-sib families. I inferred a low effective population size (≤10 individuals) but did not detect signs of severe inbreeding, possibly because the population bottleneck occurred recently. Two groups of 30 individuals from the captive pool that were the most genetically diverse were reintroduced to the wild, leading to an increase in the number of fertile eggs (n=27) in the wild. Another 25 individuals, selected based on the same criteria, were transferred to the Singapore Zoo as an assurance colony. Obviously, the biological extinction of B. trivittata will be achieved by in situ and ex situ conservation efforts, should they be combined with the support of local people.

Accordingly, I visited 29 villages located along the upper Chindwin River, where the wild population of B. trivittata occurs. I conducted semi-structured surveys designed to examine local perceptions, attitudes, and awareness towards B. trivittata conservation, and understand local patterns of turtle/egg consumption. My findings indicate that more than half of the respondents can correctly identify B. trivittata, and the majority has some sense of decline occurred >15 years ago due to collection of eggs and hunting adults. No cases of B. trivittata egg consumption in the last 10 years and no information about their sale in the local markets were reported. The majority are willing to contribute toward turtle conservation, and 95% do not think that turtle conservation efforts restrict their daily lives. Therefore, I concluded that there is no significant cost for local people to oppose B. trivittata conservation.

I believe that this study is a great example of how academic study may translate into actual conservation efforts supported by local people. This multi-disciplinary approach promises to enhance current conservation practices of the other endangered turtles and guide future conservation efforts for other endangered species.”

All are welcome

Mon 04 Dec 2017: 2.00pm [QE] – Stephen Foley on “Understanding the evoluntionary patterns of modified macrosetae among tarantula spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae) and their defensive functions”

Department of Biological Sciences, NUS
Qualifying Examination

“Understanding the evoluntionary patterns of modified macrosetae among tarantula spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae) and their defensive functions”

Speaker:             Stephen Foley (Graduate Student, Dept. of Biological Sciences, NUS)
Date:                  4 December 2017, Monday
Time:                  2pm
Venue:               DBS Conference room  (S3 Level 5, #05-01)
Supervisor:        Asst Prof Piel, William Halliday

Abstract: – Tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae) are the most speciose group of mygalomorph spiders, with almost 1000 species having been formally described. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, and have evolved to live in a range of microhabitats. Of particular interest is their use of modified macrosetae, and the defensive functions of these setae. Some species can flick urticating hairs at potential predators, which often elicit immune responses. Others possess sets of modified setae which they can brush together to generate sound in a process known as stridulation. Many species can also be found in a myriad of different colors, with traditionally rare colors (such as blue) being relatively common among tarantulas. This is unusual given that they live in solitude and are presumed to have poor eyesight, so the functions of colored bristles remains unknown.

Hence, my research is focused on four main topics, those being: (i) the phylogenetic relationships among members of the group, (ii) reclassifying the bristles that are implicated in stridulation, (iii) whether or not the internal structure of modified bristles is conserved given the diverse range external bristle morphologies and functions, and (iv) the functions of colors in tarantulas, and whether there is any relationship between arboreality, sexually dimorphic coloration and crypsis.

All are welcome