UCSC Forest Ecology Research Plot (FERP)

Nature of Research/Program Description: 

Join a team of FERP interns to help measure the growth, mortality, and recruitment of more than 31,000 trees, shrubs, and lianas as part of the 4th census of the 16-ha UCSC Forest Ecology Research Plot. Established in 2007 on the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve, the FERP is just a short walk from the UCSC laboratories, classrooms, and residential colleges. At the same time, the FERP is an important part of the global ForestGEO network of mapped forest plots, dedicated to understanding the impacts of global change on forest ecosystems. Interns will spend 6 h per week in the forest, learning and applying methods in forest ecology research and becoming familiar with the natural history of the UCSC campus.

We have internships available every academic quarter, most days of the week, in 6-hour shifts. If you are interested in joining the FERP team please fill out this Google form with your availability for the upcoming quarter. The FERP is a resource for teaching and research on the campus, and senior theses/projects are encouraged after first completing a 2-unit internship.

Keywords: fall quarter; winter quarter; on-campus; academic credit; forest ecology; plant ecology; small mammals; plant physiology; forest dynamics; species interactions

Faculty Director: Gregory Gilbert

Location: 
On-campus
Targeted Students: 
All students are welcome; no prior field experience required. Requires ability to walk 4 miles, on uneven ground, up and down hills, including off-trail in the forest. FERP shifts require 6-hr block of time. The internship is not appropriate for students with strong sensitivity to poison oak.
Program Time Period: 
Winter Quarter
Spring Quarter
Fall Quarter
Compensation: 
Academic Credit
Details: 
Credit arranged through the Environmental Studies Internship Program.
Approximate Number of UCSC Students (Each Year): 
50-60
Year Began: 
2007
Contact: 
Alex Jones
Contact Title: 
Campus Natural Reserve Manager
Contact Email: 
asjones@ucsc.edu
Faculty Director: 
Gregory Gilbert
Faculty Director Email: 
ggilbert@ucsc.edu
Reports/Articles/Videos: 

Gilbert, G.S., S.G. Carvill, A.R. Krohn, and A.S. Jones. 2024. Three censuses of a mapped plot in coastal California mixed-evergreen and redwood forest.  Forests  15: 164  https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010164

 

Video on UCSC Environmental Studies Internship site

Major(s): 
Anthropology
Applied Physics
Art
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Bioengineering
Bioinformatics
Biology
Biomolecular Engineering
Business Management Economics
Chemistry
Classical Studies
Cognitive Science
Computer Engineering
Computer Science
Computer Science: Computer Game Design
Earth Sciences
Ecology and Evolution
Economics
Education and Teaching
Electrical Engineering
Environmental Studies
Feminist Studies
Field and Exchange
Film and Digital Media
German Studies
Global Economics
History
History of Art and Visual Culture
Human Biology
Italian Studies
Jewish Studies
Language Studies
Latin American and Latino Studies
Legal Studies
Linguistics
Literature
Marine Biology
Mathematics
Microbiology
Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology
Music
Network and Digital Technology
Neuroscience
Philosophy
Physics
Physics (Astrophysics)
Physics Education
Plant Sciences
Politics
Prelaw
Premedicine
Psychology
Robotics Engineering
Sociology
Technology and Information Management
Theater Arts
Writing
Additional information: 
All majors are welcome to participate.